Macrocycles.: 12.: Ring-opening polycondensations of tin-containing macrocycles with bis(thioarylester)s

2,2-Dibutyl-2-stanna-1,3-dioxepane (DSDOP) was polycondensed with bis(4-chlorothiophenyl) suberat under various reaction conditions, but only moderate molecular weights (M-n approximate to 10000) were obtained. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed the formation of cyclic oligo- and polyesters in addition to linear species having OH, CO2H, and unreacted 4-chlorothiophenyl ester endgroups. Furthermore, epsilon-Caprolactone (epsilon-CL) was polymerized with DSDOP as the initiator at monomer/initiator (M/I) ratios of 20 and 50. The resulting tin-containing macrocyclic polylactones were reacted with sebacic acid bis(4-thiocresyl)ester at three different temperatures and with different reaction times. Analogous polycondensations were conducted with suberic acid bis(4-chlorothiophenyl) ester. The presence of thioarylester endgroups in the isolated polyesters was checked by H-1 NMR spectroscopy. The highest conversions were found at long reaction times (24 or 72 hours), or after the addition of pyridine and N,N-dimethylaminopyridine as catalysts. Despite high conversions, the number average molecular weights (M-n's) did not exceed values around 20000. Even in the samples having the highest molecular weights, unreacted 4-chlorothiophenylester endgroups were detected by GPC measurements evaluated with a UV-detector. It is concluded that both factors, cyclization and incomplete conversion, contribute to the limitation of the chain growth.