Cationic polymerization of isobutylene by FeCl3/ether complexes in hexanes: An investigation of the steric and electronic effects of ethers

The polymerization of isobutylene (IB) in hexanes at 0 °C initiated by tert-butylchloride (t-BuCl) and coinitiated by GaCl3 or FeCl3•diisopropyl ether (i-Pr2O) complexes to produce polyisobutylene with high exo olefin content (HR PIB) has been previously reported [1]. In an effort to further improve the efficiency of the catalytic system, we have performed systematic studies on the effect of the nature of the ether used in the FeCl3•ether...