Low‐temperature polymerization of lactams by using as catalyst the salt derived from NaAlEt4 and monomer and with several compounds as initiator

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Low‐temperature polymerization of α‐pyrrolidone, α‐piperidone, and ϵ‐caprolactam was examined by using the salts derived from NaAlEt4 and monomer, sodium lactamates, or the salt derived from AlEt3 and monomer as catalyst and with N‐acetyl lactams, ethyl acetate, or lactones as initiator. Sodium lactamate catalyst gave unsatisfactory results in the cases of ethyl acetate or lactones initiators, and gave the following order for the relative efficiency of initiators: N‐acetyl lactam > ϵ‐caprolactone ≥ ethyl acetate > β‐propiolactone. The polymerization results obtained by the salt from NaAlEt4 catalyst–ethyl acetate initiator system were nearly the same as those with N‐acetyl lactam. The increases in the degree of polymerization and in the yield of polymer were observed in case of the salt from NaAlEt4 catalyst‐lactone initiator system, particularly in the cases of α‐piperidone and ϵ‐caprolactam. Also an incorporation of initiator into polymer chain was observed.