Studies on organometallic compounds as polymerization catalysts. II. Diethylzinc/water system for epoxide polymerization

Diethylzinc/water system was studied using infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and vapor phase chromatography. The main reactions of diethylzinc with water are considered to be as follows: Relative LEWIS acidity for ether is found to be in the order: Initiators for the polymerization of propylene oxide by diethylzinc/water system are found to be Et(ZnO)nZnEt, Et(ZnO)nH, or HO(ZnO)nH, which have disordered wurtzite structures concerning zinc‐oxygen bond. On the hydrolysis of the polymerization system, 2‐methyl‐l‐butanol, 2‐pentanol, and propylene glycol are found as initial products. The main reaction of the polymerization of propylene oxide catalyzed by diethylzinc/water system was discussed in terms of the coordinate ionic mechanism.