Cationic copolymerization of cholesterol vinyl ether with methylvinylsulfide: toward medicinal polymers

Oligomers of cholesterol vinyl ether (CVE) with methyl vinyl sulfide synthesized in the presence of cationic catalyst ВF3 · OEt2 in up to 81% yield (Mn up to 5700) demonstrate optical activity exceeding that of CVE homopolymer, which is probably due to both conformational effects of the oligomer chain and chirality induction during the polymerization.