| Abstract: | Radiation crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide)s (PEO) modified with two tetraalkylammonium salts: allyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide and ethylmethacrylate dimethyldodecylammonium bromide were prepared. They have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H-NMR spectra, and DSC measurements. Their activity as phase transfer catalysts (PTC) in the model displacement reaction of 1-bromooctane with aqueous sodium cyanide were studied. The reaction kinetics were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions. Small amounts of onium salt inserted into the PEO network gave rise to a five time increase in the rate constant. The recovered catalysts could be re-used without loss of activity. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
