The dicobaltoctacarbonyl catalyzed polymerization of allylic ethers

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)00955-1

Allylic ethers undergo spontaneous, exothermic polymerization in the presence catalytic amounts of dicobaltoctacarbonyl and silanes. Investigation of the mechanism of this new polymerization reaction indicates that the polymerization occurs by a multistep mechanism involving first, isomerization of the allylic ether to the corresponding 1-propenyl ether, then cationic polymerization of this latter species. It is proposed that two different cobalt-containing species are present which catalyze this tandem process.