Process for producing poly(alkylene oxide) in the presence of a phosphazenium salt or compound

A process for producing a poly(alkylene oxide) by polymerization of an alkylene oxide compound, which comprises polymerizing said alkylene oxide compound in the presence of:

• a phosphazenium compound represented by the following formula (7a):
• wherein a, b, c and d in the chemical formula (1a) each stands for the number of repeating units and is a positive integer of 3 or smaller or 0 with the proviso that a, b, c and d are not all 0 at the same time, Q− represents an alkoxyl anion, aryloxyl anion or carboxyl anion, Rs represent the same or different hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, two Rs on each common nitrogen atom may be coupled together to form a ring structure, and
• an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound, or
• a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• a phosphazenium compound represented by the chemical formula (7a) defined above, and an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound.

A process for producing a poly(alkylene oxide) by polymerization of an alkylene oxide compound, which comprises polymerizing said alkylene oxide compound in the presence of:

• (I-i) (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion, said salt being represented by the following chemical formula (5) or chemical formula (6):
• wherein a, b, c and d in the chemical formula (5) or e, f and g in the chemical formula (6) each stands for the number of repeating units and is a positive integer of 3 or smaller or 0 with the proviso that a, b, c and d or e, f and g are not all 0 at the same time, Rs represent the same or different hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, two Rs on each common nitrogen atom may be coupled together to form a ring structure, r stands for an integer of from 1 to 3 and represents the number of phosphazenium cations and Tr− represents an r-valent inorganic anion of an inorganic acid selected from the group consisting of boric acid, tetrafluoroboric acid, hydrohalogenic acids, phosphoric acids, hexafluorophosphoric acid and perchloric acid, and
• (b) an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound, or
• (I-ii) a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion, said salt being represented by the chemical formula (5), and
• (b) an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound;
• or
• (II-i) (a) a phosphazenium compound represented by the following formula (7):
• wherein a, b, c, d and Rs have the same meanings as defined above, and Q− represents a hydroxyl anion, alkoxyl anion, aryloxyl anion or carboxyl anion, and
• (b) an active hydrogen compound, or
• (II-ii) a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• (a) a phosphazenium compound represented by the chemical formula (7), and
• (b) an active hydrogen compound.

A process for producing a poly(alkylene oxide) by polymerization of an alkylene oxide compound, which comprises polymerizing said alkylene oxide compound in the presence of:

• (I-i) (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion said salt being represented by the following chemical formula (5) or chemical formula (6):
• wherein a, b, c and d in the chemical formula (5) or e, f and g in the chemical formula (6) each stands for the number of repeating units and is a positive integer of 3 or smaller or 0 with the proviso that a, b, c and d or e, f and g are not all 0 at the same time, Rs represent the same or different hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, two Rs on each common nitrogen atom may be coupled together to form a ring structure, r stands for an integer of from 1 to 3 and represents the number of phosphazenium cations, and Tr− represents an r-valent inorganic anion, and
• (b) an alkali metal salt of an active hydrogen compound, or
• (I-ii) a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion, said salt being represented by the chemical formula (5), and
• (b) an alkali metal salt of an active hydrogen compound;
• or
• (II-i) (a) a phosphazenium compound represented by the following formula (7):
• wherein a, b, c, d and Rs have the same meanings as defined above, and Q− represents a hydroxyl anion alkoxyl anion, aryloxyl anion or carboxyl anion, and
• (b) an active hydrogen compound, or
• (II-ii) a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• (a) a phosphazenium compound represented by the chemical formula (7), and
• (b) an active hydrogen compound.

A process for producing a poly(alkylene oxide) by polymerization of an alkylene oxide compound, which comprises polymerizing said alkylene oxide compound in the presence of:

• (I-i) (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion, said salt being represented by the following chemical formula (5) or chemical formula (6):
• wherein a, b, c and d in the chemical formula (5) or e, f and g in the chemical formula (6) each stands for the number of repeating units and is a positive integer of 3 or smaller or 0 with the proviso that a, b, c and d or e, f and g are not all 0 at the same time, Rs represent the same or different hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, two Rs on each common nitrogen atom may be coupled together to form a ring structure, r stands for an integer of from 1 to 3 and represents the number of phosphazenium cations, and Tr− represents an r-valent inorganic anion, and
• (b) an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound, or
• (I-ii) a phosphazenium salt of an active hydrogen compound, said phosphazenium salt having been derived from:
• (a) a salt of a phosphazenium cation and an inorganic anion, said salt being represented by the chemical formula (5), and
• (b) an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of an active hydrogen compound.