SYNTHESIS OF LINEAR AND STAR-SHAPED PHOSPHORUS-CONTAINING TELECHELIC POLYMERS VIA LIVING CATIONIC RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION USING A HALOBENZENE/NICKEL(II) BROMIDE CATALYST

This paper reports a living cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-phenyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane (a six membered cyclic phosphonite, 1) initiated by a new catalyst system of a halobenzene with NiBr2. The polymerization proceeded in a living nature to produce a poly(phosphinate) 2. The polymerizations of seven- and five-membered cyclic phosphonites with this catalyst system are also described. The kinetic analysis of the polymerization of 1, initiated with this catalyst system, has successfully been carried out. The difference of the nature in the polymerizations of five-, six-, and seven-membered monomers is discussed. Syntheses of linear and starshaped telechelic polymers using di-, tri-, tetra-, and hexahalobenzenes as a catalyst component are disclosed.