ABSTRACT
A variety of monomers having two kinds of functional groups have been studied in cyclopolymerization. Hydrogenation of these monomers led to the cyclized tetrahydropyran structures. Alkene-epoxides lend themselves to cyclopolymerization in appropriately substituted molecules, since both structures are subject to cationic initiation. Polymerization of both conjugated and nonconjugated alkene-alkynes has been studied quite extensively. The structures of polymers obtained from dimethyl(vinylethynyl)carbinol and its methyl and trimethylsilyl ethers, using benzoyl peroxide as initiator were determined; it was shown that the carbon-to-carbon triple bond did take part in polymer formation, inconsistent with the hypothesis of cyclopolymerization of vinylacetylene monomers. It was concluded that the polymerization mechanism proceeds without involving the acetylenic bonds, although the residual unsaturation was reported. In polymerization studies of glycols and carbinols of the isopropenylacetylene series via radical initiation, it was concluded that the polymerization proceeded through the olefinic double bond only and no cyclization occurred.
