Polymer Bulletin, Vol.52, No.1, 33-40, 2004
Ring opening polymerization of 2,5-dihydro-2,5-dimethoxyfuran by electrochemical initiation
2,5-Dihydro-2,5-dimethoxyfuran (DHMF) was polymerized via constant current electrolysis (CCE), in CH3CN-NaClO4 solvent-electrolyte couple. Poly(DHMF) was obtained from the anolyte. The effect of current density, temperature, monomer and electrolyte concentrations on the polymer yield have been examined. The apparent activation energy for CCE of DHMF was found to be 37.2 kJ/mol. The FTIR and H-1-NMR analyses show that DHMF polymerizes by a ring opening. Molecular weight of poly(DHMF) was found by using cryoscopy.