Poly(alkylene carbonate) monoahls and polyahls useful as surfactants

A modified poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahl containing at least one thiocarbonate moiety which is the reaction product of a poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahl represented by the formula ##STR11## wherein R.sup.1 is separately in each occurrence an n-valent hydrocarbon radical or hydrocarbon radical which contains one or more heteroatoms of the group consisting of O, N and S;

• R.sup.2 is separately in each occurrence hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, C.sub.1-20 hydrocarbyl substituted with hydrogen or one or more of the group consisting of halo, cyano, nitro, thioalkyl, tert-amino, C.sub.1-20 alkoxy, C.sub.6-20 aryloxy, C.sub.7-24 aralkoxy, carbonyl-dioxy (C.sub.1-20) alkyl, carbonyl-dioxy(C.sub.6-24) aryl, carbonyldioxy(C.sub.7-20) alkyl, C.sub.1-24 alkoxycarbonyl, C.sub.6-24 aryloxycarbonyl, C.sub.7-24 aralkoxycarbonyl, C.sub.1-20 alkylcarbonyl, C.sub.6-24 arylcarbonyl, C.sub.7-24 aralkylcarbonyl, C.sub.1-20 alkylsulfinyl, C.sub.6-24 arylsulfinyl, C.sub.7-24 aralkylsulfinyl, C.sub.1-24 alkylsulfonyl, C.sub.6-24 arylsulfonyl and C.sub.7-24 aralkylsulfonyl;
• X is separately in each occurrence S, O, NH, ##STR12## A is separately in each occurrence ##STR13## combinations thereof, or a covalent bond;
• Q is separately in each occurrence O, S or NH provided that all carbonate moieties are not terminal:
• n is separately in each occurrence an integer of from 1 to 25;
• x is separately in each occurrence an integer of from 1 to 40;
• y is separately in each occurrence an integer of from 1 to 120;
• and
• z is separately in each occurrence an integer of from 0 to 5;
• and one or more C.sub.1-20 aliphatic monomercaptans, C.sub.5-20 cycloaliphatic monomercaptans, C.sub.6-24 arylmonomercaptans, alkylene dimercaptans having 5-24 carbon atoms, arylene dimercaptans having 6-24 carbon atoms, aralkylene dimercaptans having 7 to 24 carbon atoms, mercaptoalcohols having from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, mercaptoacids having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms or mercaptoamines having from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms.