Cationic polymerization of isoprene in the presence of the TiCl4-trichloroacetic acid catalyst system

Abstract

Cationic polyisoprene characteristic of different molecular parameters can be obtained with high yields in the presence of the TiCl 4 -trichloroacetic acid catalyst system. At low monomer concentrations, polyisoprene has a unimodal molecular-mass distribution. At elevated monomer concentrations, the polydispersity of polyisoprene increases significantly with conversion because of chain transfer to the polymer and branching. As the TiCl 4 /trichloroacetic acid ratio in the catalyst and the total concentration of the catalytic complex increase, the average molecular masses of the produced cationic polyisoprene decrease as a result of chain transfer to trichloroacetic acid.