| Abstract: | The catalyst structure–property relationships of the phenoxyimine complexes in controlled cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers were investigated based on the Hammett correlation. The correlation analyses of a series of experiments using the phenoxyimine ligands/TiCl4 initiating systems indicated that the substituents on the N‐aryl phenoxyimine ligands affected the polymerization rate and stereoselectivity. Importantly, a linear correlation was observed between the Hammett substituent constants and the polymerization rates, which indicates that the Lewis acidity of the complex is affected by the electron‐withdrawing and ‐donating effects of the substituents. The tacticity of product polymers correlated to the Hammett substituent constants. Unlike the relationship with the polymerization rates, the σ– values, which account for the enhanced resonance effects, were more appropriate for the relationship with the tacticity than the normal σ values. In contrast, the polymerization behavior using o‐substituted ligands exhibited a trend different from those using p‐ or m‐substituted ligands. The structural change, which was caused by the rotation of the C? N bonding, most likely triggered the acceleration effect in the case of the o‐substituents. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2021–2029 |
