Mechanistic discussion of cationic crosslinking copolymerizations of 1,2‐epoxycyclohexane with diepoxide crosslinkers accompanied by intramolecular and intermolecular chain transfer reactions

Our previous mechanistic discussion of the free‐radical crosslinking monoallyl/diallyl copolymerizations was extended to the cationic crosslinking monoepoxide/diepoxide copolymerizations, typically including 1,2‐epoxycyclohexane (ECH) as a monoepoxide and bis[3,4‐epoxycyclohexylmethyl] adipate (BECHMA) as a diepoxide crosslinker. In the cationic polymerization, oligomer is usually obtained because of the occurrence of characteristic chain‐forming reactions. Therefore, cationic crosslinking monoepoxide/diepoxide copolymerizations could be in the category of the network formation through free‐radical crosslinking monoallyl/diallyl copolymerizations. Thus, the gelation behavior was discussed by comparing the actual gel points with the theoretical ones; the greatly delayed gelation from theory was observed. Then, the resulting network polymer precursors (NPPs) were characterized by SEC‐MALLS‐viscometry to clarify the cationic crosslinking ECH/BECHMA copolymerization mechanism. Notably, the correlation lines of molecular weight versus elution volume were specific for the NPPs obtained at a high conversion close to the gel point as compared with those obtained by the free‐radical crosslinking monoallyl/diallyl copolymerization. This may be ascribed to the occurrence of intramolecular and intermolecular chain transfer reactions characteristic of cationic polymerization; the chain transfer reactions involve the intramolecular and intermolecular nucleophilic attack of ether oxygen or terminal hydroxyl oxygen in the NPPs to a terminal growing cation that leads to the formation of not only the loop‐ but also the crosslink‐structures containing NPPs, providing fragile ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight NPP in the SEC columns. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010