THE USE OF PLATINUM AND RHODIUM CATALYSTS FOR THE PREPARATION AND CATIONIC RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION OF SILICON-CONTAINING EPOXIDES

Regioselective platinum and rhodium catalysts were employed for the preparation of novel silicon-containing polyethers. First, silicon-containing monomers bearing cycloaliphatic epoxy groups were prepared by a rhodium-catalyzed regioselective hydrosilation. Then these monomers were polymerized using a platinum-catalyzed, cationic, ring-opening polymerization to give the linear polyethers. The obtained polyethers were compared with polymers prepared by photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerization using onium salt photoinitiators and found to be identical.