Kinetic investigations on microwave-assisted statistical terpolymerizations of 2-oxazoline monomers

The microwave-assisted statistical terpolymerization of 2-oxazolines via a living cationic ring-opening polymerization mechanism is discussed. Kinetic investigations on the terpolymerizations of combinations of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline, 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline, 2-nonyl-2-oxazoline, and 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline were performed by heating separate polymerization mixtures for different predefined times. The resulting polymer solutions were analyzed by gas chromatography and size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating the living character of the statistical terpolymerizations. In addition, the monomer distribution throughout the polymer chains is discussed based on the linear first order kinetic plots of the separate monomers in the terpolymerizations. The observed differences in monomer distribution are expected to influence the polymer properties, which will be the focus of future investigations.