Epoxide polymerization—IV. Ethylene oxide polymerization using the diphenylzinc-water system in benzene at 60°

✍ Scribed by F.M. Rabagliati; C.A. Bradley

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 204 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(84)90097-1

✦ Synopsis

The diphenylzinc-water system was used as catalyst for ethylene oxide polymerization in benzene solution at 6ff ~. The system is greatly influenced by the molar ratio of water to diphenylzinc, H20/Ph2Zn, the maximum catalyst activity being found for a ratio of unity. Ph2Zn alone and molar ratios of 0.25, 0.5, 1.5, 1.75 and 2.0 gave very low conversion to polymer. For a molar ratio of unity, the yield of polymer and the molecular weight increase with time. The reaction is first order with respect to monomer with kp=5.7× 10 5sec ~mol ~1.