2-Furyloxiranes III. Chain extension with different polyols

Abstract

2-Furyl-, 5-methyl-2-furyl-, and α-methyl-2-furyl oxiranes were used for the chain extension of different polyols and the reaction mechanism leading to the formation of the extented products was established. In all cases, it was shown that the chain extension was accompanied by a homopolymerization of the furanic oxiranes giving oligomers with degrees of polymerization of 6-7. The importance of transfer reactions during the propagation, namely the elimination of water and the subsequent anomalous formation of OH groups, was investigated in detail. This included the use of 13C NMR spectroscopy which confirmed the proposed mechanism and also showed the presence of C = C unsaturations.