Robust and Operationally Simple Synthesis of Poly(bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy) phosphazene) with Controlled Molecular Weight, Low PDI, and High Conversion

Synthetically straightforward conditions have been developed for the preparation of poly(bis 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene with low PDI (<1.15) at high conversion (75–99%) and on a multigram scale. A combination of 31 P NMR and GPC analyses demonstrate that molecular weight increases linearly as a function of monomer consumption, exhibiting first order kinetics with respect to monomer concentration up to high monomer conversion. Thus, the molecular weight can be controlled by varying the initiator (H 2 O) to monomer ratio.