Synthesis and Photoinitiated Cationic Polymerization of Substituted 2-Cyclopropyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolanes

The synthesis of substituted 2-cyclopropyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolanes 6a-c is described. Photoinitiated cationic polymerization at ambient temperatures in bulk and in solution was investigated using (η 5 -2,4-cyclopentadiene-1-yl)[1,2,3,4,5,6-η] (1-methylethyl) benzene)iron(II) hexafluorophosphate (Irgacure 261, I-1) and ditolyliodonium hexafluoro-phosphate (I-2). Upon irradiation a single ring-opening polymerziation occured within 4 min leading to polyether ketones 6a-c with number average molecular weights M n between 5000 and 33 600 g/mol. No ring-opening polymerization of the cyclopropane ring could be detected. A volume shrinkage of about 6.4% was found.