Process for preparing poly(alkylene carbonate) monoahls and polyahls useful as surfactants

A process for preparing a modified poly(alkylene carbonate) monoahl and/or polyahl comprising contacting a poly(alkylene carbonate) polyahl represented by the formula:

• ##STR10## 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, alkoxy, C.sub.6-20 aryloxy, C.sub.7-24 aralkoxy, carbonyldioxy(C.sub.1-20) alkyl, carbonyldioxy(C.sub.6-24) aryl, carbonyldioxy(C.sub.7-24) aralkyl, 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, ##STR11## A is separately in each occurrence ##STR12## combinations thereof or a covalent bond;
• Q is separately in each occurrence O, S or NH provided that all carbonate moieties are not terminal since terminal carbonate moieties are unstable and form OH moieties by elimination of CO.sub.2 ;
• 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;
• a monoahl represented by the formula HY.sup.1 R.sup.3 or a diahl represented by the formula HY.sup.2 R.sup.4 Y.sup.2 H, wherein Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are O, S, NH or NH.sup.5, wherein R.sup.5 is C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1-20 alkyl or C.sub.1-20 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-24 aryl, or C.sub.7-24 aralkyl;
• and R.sup.4 is C.sub.2-20 alkylene, C.sub.2-20 cycloalkylene, C.sub.6-24 arylene or C.sub.7-24 aralkylene, under conditions effective to form the modified poly(alkylene carbonate) monoahl and/or polyahl.