Friedel-crafts polymerisations with α,α′-dimethoxy-p-xylene—I The initiation step with stannic chloride as catalyst

✍ Scribed by N. Grassie; J. Flood; J.G. Cunningham

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 392 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(76)90030-6

✦ Synopsis

A white insoluble 1:1 complex is formed between stannic chloride and c~,cd-dimethoxy-pxylene (DMPX) when the Friedel-Crafts copolymerisation of DMPX and benzene is carried out in a series of solvents using stannic chloride as catalyst. As the reaction proceeds, the precipitate dissolves, being converted to a l:l and later a 1:2 complex of stannic chloride and methanol, the latter being a product of the reaction. The 1:1 stannic chloride:methanol complex is an active catalyst for the polymerisation while the 1:2 complex is relatively inactive. The rate of the reaction is also strongly dependent upon the dielectric constant of the medium.

For these reasons, a precise quantitative investigation of the kinetics of the polymerisation will be almost impossible but experimental conditions are specified whereby a partial investigation may be made for comparison with the SnCl~/benzene/di(chloromethyl) benzene system previously studied.