Synthesis, characterization, and ion‐complexing properties of polymers displaying densely packed arrays of crown‐ethers as lateral substituents

We report the synthesis and ion-binding properties of four poly(crown-ethers) displaying either one or two crown-ethers (15-crown-5 or 18-crown-6) on every third carbon alongside the backbone. The polymers were synthesized by living anionic ring-opening polymerization of disubstituted cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates monomers. Cation binding of the polychelating polymers and corresponding monomers to Na+ and K+ was evaluated by picrate extraction and isothermal calorimetry titration. This novel family of poly(crown-ethers) demonstrated excellent initial binding of the alkali ions to the polymers, with a higher selectivity for potassium. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 2337–2345