Anionic polymerization of styrene in tetrahydrofuran (THF) with cumylcaesium as initiator

The kinetics of the anionic polymerization of styrene initiated by cumylcaesium have been reinvestigated in tetrahydrofuran. Quite unlike earlier investigations, the ion pair rate constant $\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{p}}\text{(±)}$ was found to be 130 l/mole/sec at 25° and the dissociation constant of polystyrylcaesium to be about 5 × 10^?10 mole/l. In the presence of caesiumtriphenylcyanoborate used as a common ion salt addition, $\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{p}}\text{(±)}$ was measured over a wide range of temperature. The results are compared to the temperature behaviour of the ion pair rate constants obtained with polystyrylsodium in polar solvents; they indicate that the existence of solvent separated ion pairs cannot be excluded for polystyrylcaesium.