Synthesis and thermal properties of ferrocene-modified poly(epichlorohydrin-co-2-(methoxymethyl)oxirane)

2-(Methoxymethyl)oxirane (MOMO) was used as a co-monomer for ring-opening polymerization, and four different samples of poly(epichlorohydrin-co-2-(methoxymethyl)oxirane) (poly(ECH-co-MOMO)) were synthesized by cationic ring opening copolymerization in the presence of BF3-etherate and 1,4-butandiol as an initiator system. Further, ferrocene modified copolymers were obtained by a substitution reaction of ferrocene methanol with the epichlorohydrin (ECH) unit in poly (ECH-co-MOMO) under mild conditions. Structural analysis of all products was performed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The thermal behaviors of the poly(ECH-co-MOMO) and ferrocene-modified poly(ECH-co-MOMO) were compared using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The glass transition temperatures (T (g) ) of PECH and PMOMO were -47 and -61 A degrees C, respectively. As the contents of PMOMO increased, the T (g) of the poly(ECH-co-MOMO)s were decreased and the onset of thermal decomposition shifted to a higher temperature. The decomposition temperature of poly(ECH-co-MOMO) was higher than that of the ferrocene-modified poly(ECH-co-MOMO).