Epoxidation of syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene with peracids

The epoxidation of syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene (84 and 16% 1,2 and 1,4 units, respectively) with carboxylic peracids prepared in situ and m-chloroperbenzoic acid was studied. In the course of epoxidation in the presence of carboxylic peracids, oxirane groups are formed only through epoxidation of double bonds in the macromolecular backbone, whereas m-chloroperbenzoic acid is responsible for the chemical modification of 1,2 and 1,4 units of polybutadiene. The basic kinetic parameters of 1,2-polybutadiene epoxidation with peracids of various chemical structures were determined.