Use of a protic ionic salt formed by the combination of a Bronsted acid and a Bronsted base in the preparation of a polyether, wherein said polyether has formula (I): HO-( A -O-) n A -OH (I) where n is an integer comprised between 1 and 500; each occurrence of A is independently selected from: C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , C 6 -C 12 aryl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , and C 1 -C 34 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R and optionally intercalated with one or more groups Z ; each occurrence of R is independently selected from the group consisting of OH, linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl optionally substituted and optionally intercalated with one or more Z , optionally substituted linear or branched C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted linear or branched C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 12 aryl, and optionally substituted 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl; each occurrence of Z is independently selected from O, S, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or more R , C 6 -C 12 aryl optionally substituted with one or more R , or 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl optionally substituted with one or more R ; wherein the polyether is obtained by polymerization of one or more alcohols comprising two or more hydroxyl groups, and wherein the molar proportion of the protic ionic salt with respect to the total amount of moles of the one or more alcohols is between 1 to 15%. n is an integer comprised between 1 and 500; each occurrence of A is independently selected from: C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , C 6 -C 12 aryl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , and C 1 -C 34 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R and optionally intercalated with one or more groups Z ; C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , C 6 -C 12 aryl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R , and C 1 -C 34 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more groups R and optionally intercalated with one or more groups Z ; each occurrence of R is independently selected from the group consisting of OH, linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl optionally substituted and optionally intercalated with one or more Z , optionally substituted linear or branched C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted linear or branched C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 12 aryl, and optionally substituted 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl; each occurrence of Z is independently selected from O, S, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with one or more R , C 6 -C 12 aryl optionally substituted with one or more R , or 5 to 12-membered heterocyclyl optionally substituted with one or more R ; wherein the polyether is obtained by polymerization of one or more alcohols comprising two or more hydroxyl groups, and wherein the molar proportion of the protic ionic salt with respect to the total amount of moles of the one or more alcohols is between 1 to 15%. <EOS>