Cationic Ring Opening Polymerization of Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane Initiated by Acid Treated Bentonite*

Cationic ring opening polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) initiated by acid treated bentonite was investigated. The experimental conditions were chosen on the basis of preliminary experiments. Higher temperature was found beneficial for the reaction process while stirring intensity beyond a certain level showed no obvious effect on the reaction rate. Polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and gel permeation chromotography. The width of molecular mass distribution was found ranging between 1.2 and 1.4, which is extraordinarily narrow compared with that of cationic polymerizations reported elsewhere (>1.9). The results were believed due to the absence of free proton and counter ion which simplifies the polymerization process and the huge steric hindrance provided by bentonite particles which keeps the propagation of polysiloxane onto the surface of bentonite particles in a much more regular way. A feasible mechanism is proposed and seems to be supported well by experiments. Additionally, from the results of α, ω-dihydrogen terminated polysiloxanes prepared, the possibility of applying this potential environmentally friendly heterogeneous catalyst in industrial polymerization of cyclosiloxanes is anticipated.