Highly Reactive Polyisobutenes Prepared with Manganese(<scp>II</scp>) Complexes as Initiators

Abstract

The end of the Ice Age? Polyisobutenes with a high content of olefinic terminal groups can be synthesized by the use of manganese(II) initiators in homogeneous solution. These easily accessible complexes (see structure) initiate at room temperature, rather than at the sub-zero temperatures usually required, and allow the formation of highly reactive, gel-free polyisobutenes with a high viscosity. Furthermore, the initiators were successfully used for the copolymerization of isobutene with isoprene.