SYNTHESIS AND PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF 1-PROPENYL GLYCIDYL ETHER

The ambifunctional monomer, 1-propenyl glycidyl ether, was prepared from allyl glycidyl ether, by a ruthenium-catalyzed isomerization reaction in high yield. 1-Propenyl glycidyl ether undergoes facile photoinduced cationic polymerization to yield a crosslinked polymer. The structure of this polymer was studied using H-1- and, C-13-NMR spectroscopies and employing well-characterized related polymers as models. The model polymers were prepared by the cationic polymerization of allyl glycidyl ether with BF3OEt2 followed by isomerization of the pendant allyl groups by a ruthenium catalyst. Subsequently, the resulting polyether-bearing pendant 1-propenyl ether groups was subjected to a diaryliodonium salt-photoinitiated polymerization. A comparison of the spectra of the polymers indicated the presence of cyclic acetal units in the polymer backbone. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.