Kinetics of anionic polymerization of cyclosiloxanes with 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl groups on the silicon atom

SUBSTITUTION of methyl groups combined with silicon by 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl groups considerably accelerates the separation of siloxanes in solution with nucleophilic reagents [1-4]. According to incomplete data in the literature a similar effect is also observed during bulk polymerization of cyclosiloxanes with bases. Anionic polymerization was qualitatively accelerated on adding a 3,3,3trifluoropropyl group to an octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane molecule [5] and addition of three of these groups to a hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane molecule accelerated polymerization 4-5 times [6].