Synthesis and characterization of [PEG400-alt-DEOS]/(δ-MgCl2)0.2597 Complex

Abstract

An alternating copolymer with the formula α-hydro-ω-oligo(oxyethylene)hydroxy poly[oligo(oxyethylene)oxydimethylsilylene] and a molecular weight of 9 860 was synthesized. Doping of this polymer with the extremely anhydrous salt δ-MgCl2 resulted in a new magnesium complex with the formula poly[PEG400-alt-DEOS]/(MgCl2)0.2597. The structural hypothesis for the polymer was proposed on the basis of elemental analyses and molecular weight. Detailed 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR spectral investigations fully confirmed the structure of poly[PEG400-alt-DEOS]. Mid-infrared FT-IR studies of the polymer showed that it presents 1) a sufficient number of terminal hydroxyl groups to confer a substantial degree of dissolution and salt-dissociation in the polymer complex; and 2) polyether fragments in a conformational geometry close to trans-gauche-trans. The conductivity against temperature plot for this very amorphous magnesium polymer complex demonstrated that the material conducts ionically by means of two types of charge-migration mechanisms.