Polyethers containing stable ionic end-groups

Polyethers of low and medium molecular weight containing at both ends stable ionic groups (phosphonium ions) were obtained by living cationic polymerization of tetrahydrofuran initiated by difunctional initiator, trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride, followed by termination with triphenylphosphine. It was shown, that products contain significant quantities of low molecular weight diphosphonium salt; a plausible explanation is presented. Alternative approach to the synthesis of diionically terminated polyethers was based on the conversion of hydroxyl end-groups of polyether diols, which can be obtained by cationic Activated Monomer (AM) polymerization of e.g. oxiranes, into phosphonium ion end-groups. Using this approach, poly(ethylene oxide)'s with M_n ranging from 300 to 3400, terminated at both ends with stable ionic groups, were prepared and characterized. Measurements of NMR relaxation times and viscosity measurements provide the evidence for the aggregation of ionic end-groups. The potential applications of inter- and intramolecular aggregation are discussed. It is shown, that intramolecular aggregation of ionic terminal groups in low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) leads to cyclic structures resembling crown ethers and showing comparable efficiency for complexing cations.