| Abstract: | Certain complexes of platinum, rhodium, iridium and cobalt are capable of initiating cationic vinyl and ring-opening polymerizations in the presence of a Si-H containing cocatalyst. An investigation has shown that two distinctly different mechanisms are involved, however, in both cases cationic polymerization can be explained by the formal attack of an electrophilic silicon species on the monomers. Since the transition metal complexes listed above also are catalysts for hydrosilation reactions, it is possible to carry out simultaneous cationic polymerizations and hydrosilation reactions to prepare novel and interesting polymers and oligomers. |
