Survey of a catalyst system for living cationic polymerization of glucose‐carrying vinyl ethers with acetyl and isopropylidene protecting groups

Abstract This study concerns the living cationic polymerization of two vinyl ethers (VEs) having pendant glucose residues, in which the hydroxyl groups are protected by acetyl and isopropylidene functions. Living cationic polymerization of VE having an acetyl‐protected glucose was achieved by employing an initiating system consisting of the CF3COOH adduct of isobutyl VE (IBVE) and ethylaluminium dichloride in the presence of an added base at 0 °C. In contrast, the use of the HCl adduct of IBVE in conjunction with zinc iodide at −15 °C was more suitable for the controlled polymerization of VE having an isopropylidene‐protected glucose. Polymers obtained under these reaction conditions had narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn ∼ 1.1) and controlled molecular weights. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry