Low viscosity polyether carbonate polyols having side chains

A process for preparing polyethercarbonate polyols having side chains, comprising the steps of:

• (α) initially introducing a catalyst and (αα) a suspension medium which contains no H-functional groups and/or (αβ) a H-functional starter compound;
• (β) metering in at least one alkylene oxide;
• and
• (γ) metering in carbon dioxide and at least two alkylene oxides, wherein one or more of the alkylene oxides metered in step (γ) is a glycidyl ether, wherein the at least one alkylene oxide metered in step (β) is different than at least one of the at least two alkylene oxides metered in step (γ), and wherein at least one of the at least two alkylene oxides metered in step (γ) is different than another one of the at least two alkylene oxides metered in step (γ);
• wherein the difference in the molecular weight of a lightest and a heaviest alkylene oxide metered in steps (β) and (γ) is greater than or equal to 24 g/mol, and the lightest alkylene oxide metered in steps (β) and (γ) is a C2-C4 alkylene oxide, wherein the C2-C4 alkylene oxide is ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide, and the step (β) is carried out between step (α) and step (γ);
• wherein the difference in the molecular weight of a lightest and heaviest alkylene oxides metered in step (γ) is greater than or equal to 24 g/mol, and the lightest alkylene oxide metered in step (γ) is a C2-C4 alkylene oxide, and when no H-functional starter compound is initially introduced in step (α), step (γ) further comprises metering in a H-functional starter compound;
• wherein the molar ratio of a lightest to a heaviest alkylene oxide added in steps (β) and (γ) in total is greater than or equal to 5:1 and less than or equal to 1000:1;
• and
• wherein the catalyst is a double metal cyanide catalyst, and wherein the glycidyl ether metered in step (γ) and is selected from the group consisting of allyl glycidyl ether, p-tert-butylphenyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl phenyl ether, methyl glycidyl ether, ethyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethyl hexyl glycidyl ether, allyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl methacrylate, 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyltripropoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropylethyldiethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyltriisopropoxysilane, and combinations of any thereof.