Patent ID: 6258895
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: C08F

Abstract:
A process for the manufacture of polymers having repeating units comprising spiro orthoester groups of the following general formula I ##STR26##whereinA is C.sub.1-6 -alkylene, C,.sub.1-6 -alkyleneoxycarbonyl or an oxygen-carbon bond,R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.2 is C.sub.1-6 -alkyl or C.sub.1-6 -alkyl substituted by C.sub.1-6 -alkoxy or aryloxy,R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 independently are hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 -alkyl,R.sup.5 is hydrogen or methyl,R.sup.6 is hydrogen, methyl, phenyl, carboxy, carboxy-C.sub.1-6 -alkyl, carboxamido or cyano,n is an integer >1 andm is 0 or an integer >1, with the proviso that the weight average molecular weight of the polymer is between 500 and 1,000,000 as measured by gel-permeation chromatography, the process comprising reacting a polymer having repeating units comprising lactone groups of the following general formula II ##STR27##wherein A, R.sup.1, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, n and m are as defined above, with an oxirane compound of the following general formula III ##STR28##wherein R.sup.2 is as defined above.