Abstract: | Styrene oxide (SO) was polymerized with a diethylzinc/α-pinene oxide (ZnEt2/α-PiO) catalyst system under various conditions. Polystyrene oxide (PSO) thus obtained had a regular head-to-tail and isotactic structure. The number-average molecular weight reached 4.07 × 104, and the molecular weight distribution was 5.7 (Mw/Mn). The glass-transition temperature of PSO was about 47 to 50 °C, depending on the molecular weight. The molar ratio of ZnEt2 to α-PiO, 2 : 1, led to a high molecular weight of PSO in an 89.2% yield within 72 h. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4640–4645, 1999 |