Synthesis of high molecular weight isobutylene-α-methylstyrene copolymers containing alkenyl groups with a half sandwich scandium initiator system under mild conditions

Cationic copolymerizations of isobutylene (IB) and two alkenyl functionalized α-MeSt derivatives, respectively, 4-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)-α-methylstyrene (FSt1) and 4-(2-propenyl)-α-methylstyrene (FSt2), catalyzed by the half sandwich scandium complex, [(C5Me4SiMe3)Sc(CH2SiMe3)2THF]/[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], at −35 °C produced a new family of high molecular weight random copolymers with pendant alkenyl groups (Mn: 12.3–18.7 × 104 g mol−1, CC: 1–20 mol%). Through post-modification, epoxy functionalized copolymers were obtained efficiently, demonstrating that the resulting copolymers with pendant alkenyl groups can serve as functional polyisobutylene based rubbery materials.