No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

In the first of a two‐part series, a study has been made of the anionic polymerization of a five‐membered cyclocarbosiloxane, 2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1‐oxa‐2,5‐disilacyclopentane. The polymerization was initiated by lithium n‐butyldiphenylsilanolate in the presence of tetrahydrofuran. The chemical shifts of the protons of the cyclic monomer and the polymer were found to be different, and therefore the rate of polymerization was obtained in an NMR spectrometer. The effects of varying the concentrations of THF, initiator, and water upon the rate of polymerization and upon the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution were investigated. At a constant concentration of monomer and initiator, the rate of polymerization increased when the THF concentration was increased. At a constant concentration of monomer and THF the rate of polymerization reached a constant value when the initiator concentration was varied. The molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution were dependent upon the initiator to water ratio, whereas water concentration had little effect on the rate of polymerization. Essentially monodispersed polymers were obtained when the concentration of initiator was in large excess to that of water or vice versa. A bimodal distribution in molecular weight was obtained when the concentration of initiator was approximately equal to that of water. The apparent activation energy of polymerization was 12.7 kcal/mole.