CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF POLYMERS - CATALYTIC HYDROFORMYLATION AND HYDROXYMETHYLATION OF STYRENE BUTADIENE COPOLYMERS

Styrene-butadiene (SB) copolymers can be readily hydroformylated to various degrees of conversion under mild conditions with HRh (CO) (PPh3)3 as the catalyst. Utilization of a novel automated gas consumption apparatus allows fairly reliable control of the degree of formyl loading and the preparation of infrared calibration curves for various SB-copolymers. In a subsequent reaction, also under homogeneous conditions, the hydroformylated SB-copolymers can be hydrogenated with HRuCl (CO) (PPh3)3 to give overall hydroxymethylated polymers. The transformations were characterized by infrared, C-13-, and H-1-NMR spectroscopy.