Cyclic dicarbonates as new monomers for the synthesis of poly(hydroxy ether)s

New cyclic dicarbonate monomers 3 were synthesized from bis(2,3‐epoxypropyl) ethers of diphenols with carbon dioxide in the presence of the KI 18‐crown‐6 as catalyst and used for polycondensation reactions with diphenols 4 , catalyzed by potassium carbonate and leading to poly(hydroxy ether)s 5 with carbon dioxide elimination. The reaction of phenoxymethylethylene carbonate (1) with phenol (including kinetic measurements) was also studied as a model reaction for the formation of the oxy‐2‐hydroxytrimethyleneoxy group in 1,3‐diphenoxy‐2‐propanol (2) .