New approach for the synthesis of amino-containing linear polymers

A new approach for the synthesis of well-defined poly(aminoethyl vinyl ether)s with controllable molecular weight has been developed. In a first step poly(chloroethyl vinyl ether)s with narrow molecular weight were prepared via living cationic polymerization of chloroethyl vinyl ether with 1,1-diethoxyethane/trimethylsilyl iodide/zinc iodide as initiating system. The chloro groups of the resulting polymers were subsequently substituted into phthalimide groups, resulting in the formation of poly(phthalimide ethyl vinyl ether). Hydrazinolysis of the imide functions gave rise to the desired poly(aminoethyl vinyl ether)s. The polymers were characterized by H-1 NMR, size exclusion chromatography and X-ray spectroscopy. The resulting polyamine was soluble only in water and in methanol and showed polyelectrolyte behaviour, as revealed by viscosimetry studies. (C) 2003 Society of Chemical Industry