Polyether alcohols bearing alkoxysilyl groups by alkoxylation of epoxy-functional alkoxysilanes over double metal cyanide (DMC) catalysts, and processes for preparation thereof

1. A polyether structure of formula (VIII)

wherein

a is an integer of from 1 to 3,

b is an integer of from 0 to 3, wherein the sum of a and b is 3,

c is an integer of 0 to 18,

d is an integer of from 4 to 20,

e is an integer of from 1 to 500,

f is an integer of from 0 to 30,

g is an integer of from 0 to 70,

h, i and j are integers of from 0 to 100, and wherein fragments with the indices d to j are freely permutable with one another,

and wherein

R is linear or branched alkyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or haloalkyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and

R 1 is an alkoxy, arylalkoxy, alkylarylalkoxy a polyetheralkoxy radical or a multiply fused phenolic group,

R 2 and R 3 , and R 5 and R 6 , are each H or a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, where the R 5 and R 6 radicals are hydrocarbon radical and the hydrocarbon radical may be bridged cycloaliphatically via the fragment Y, where

Y may be absent or is a methylene bridge having 1 or 2 methylene units, with the proviso that, when Y is absent, the R 2 or R 3 radicals are each independently a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms,

R 4 is a linear or branched alkyl radial of 1 to 24 carbon atoms or an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical which is bonded to a glycidyloxypropyl group which is bonded via an ether or ester function,

n is an integer of 2 to 8 and R 7 and R 8 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl groups, and

R 9 , R 10 , R 11 and R 12 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl or aralkyl groups, where the alkyl radical or alkenyl radical may be bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the Z fragment, where Z may be either a divalent alkylene radical or alkenylene radical.

2. The polyether structure according to claim 1 , comprising a —O—(CH 2 )—Si(R) b (OR) a — group, wherein each —O—(CH 2 )—Si(R) b (OR) a — group is always incorporated into a prepolymer of the polyether structure formed via an intermediate alpha-oxypropylene functionality.

3. The polyether structure according to claim 1 , wherein the index d is from 5 to 10.

4. The polyether structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the indices f to j in the formula (VIII) is greater than or equal to 0.

5. The polyether structure according to claim 1 ,

obtained by a reaction comprising reacting epoxy-functional alkoxysilanes of the formula (I)

which are added individually or in a mixture with further epoxide compounds, either in block form or in random distribution, onto a chain starter of the formula (VII):

R 1 —H  (VII);

having at least one reactive hydroxyl group so that the polyether portion of the polyether alcohol has a terminal hydroxyl group or carboxyl group;

where:

R 1 is an alkoxy, arylalkoxy, alkylarylalkoxy group type, a polyetheralkoxy radical or multiply fused phenolic group.

6. The polyether structure according to claim 5

wherein the one or more epoxy-functional alkoxysilanes of the formula (I) are selected from the group consisting of:

3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxysilane,

3-glycidyloxypropyltripropoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyl-methyldimethoxysilane,

3 glycidyloxypropyl-methyl-diethoxysilane,

and 3-gly-cidyloxypropyltriisopropoxysilane;

wherein the further epoxide compounds are selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (II) and formula (III):

where:

R 2 and R 3 radicals are each independently H, or a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;

Y is absent;

R 5 and R 6 are the same or else are each independently H, or a hydrocarbon radical;

R 4 is a glycidyloxypropyl group which is bonded via an ether or ester function to a linear or branched alkyl radical of 1 to 24 carbon atoms or via an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical; and

wherein the reacting further comprises comonomers which are selected from the group consisting of compounds of formula (IV), formula (V), and formula (VI):

where:

n is an integer of 2 to 8;

R 7 and R 8 are each independently hydrogen, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl groups;

R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 are each independently hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl or aralkyl groups, where, for R 11 , and R 12 , the alkyl radical or alkenyl radical are optionally bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the Z fragment; and

Z is absent or else is a divalent alkylene radical or alkenylene radical.

7. The polyether structure according to claim 5

wherein R 1 is a polyether radical of the alkoxy, arylalkoxy, or alkylarylalkoxy group type;

wherein at least one fragment has been inserted into the forming polymer chain as a result of a ring-opening reaction with at least one of the reaction components of the formulae (I) to (VI), and

wherein the formulae (I) to (VI) are:

where:

R is linear or branched, alkyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or haloalkyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;

a is an integer of 1 to 3;

b is an integer of 0 to 2;

the sum of a and b is equal to 3;

c is an integer of 0 to 18;

p is an integer which is the difference of 4−a−b;

R 2 and R 3 radicals are each independently H, or a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;

Y is absent;

R 5 and R 6 are the same or else are each independently H, or a hydro carbon radical;

R 4 is a glycidyloxypropyl group which is bonded via an ether or ester function to a linear or branched alkyl radical of 1 to 24 carbon atoms or via an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical;

n is an integer of 2 to 8;

R 7 and R 8 are each independently hydrogen, or alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl groups;

R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 are each independently hydrogen, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl or aralkyl groups, where, for R 10 and R 11 , the alkyl radical, alkenyl radical are optionally bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the Z fragment; and

Z is absent or else is a divalent alkylene radical or alkenylene radical.

8. The polyether structure according to claim 6

wherein:

R 2 , R 3 , R 5 , and R 6 are all hydrogen; or

R 2 , R 3 , and R 5 are each hydrogen and R 6 is methyl; or

R 2 , R 3 , and R 6 are each hydrogen and R 5 is methyl.

9. The polyether structure according to claim 5

wherein at least one fragment formed by the reaction with ring-opening of the reaction components of the formulae (III) to (VI) has been inserted into the forming polymer chain; and

wherein the formulae (III) to (VI) are:

where:

R 2 is H or a saturated or hydro carbon radical;

R 4 is a glycidyloxypropyl group which is bonded via an ether or ester function to a linear or branched alkyl radical of 1 to 24 carbon atoms or via an aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical;

n is an integer of 2 to 8;

R 7 and R 8 are each independently hydrogen, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl groups;

R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , and R 12 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl groups, where, for R 10 and R 11 , the alkyl radical, alkenyl radical are optionally bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the Z fragment; and

Z is absent or else is a divalent alkylene radical or alkenylene radical.

10. The polyether structure according to claim 5 wherein R 1 is a linear or branched hydrocarbon radical, polyetheralkoxy radical, or a singularly or multiply fused phenolic group.

11. The polyether structure according to claim 6 wherein the compounds of the formula (II) are selected from the group consisting of:

ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, 1,2- or 2,3-butylene oxide, isobutylene oxide,

1,2-dodecene oxide, styrene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, and

2,3-epoxy-1-propanol; and

wherein the compounds of the formula (III) are selected from the group consisting of:

allyl glycidyl ether, butyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether, C 12 /C 14 -fatty alcohol glycidyl ether, phenyl glycidyl ether, p-tert-butylphenyl glycidyl ether, o-cresyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, and glycidyl neodecanoate.

12. The polyether structure according to claim 6 , wherein the compounds of the formula (I) used are selected from the group consisting of 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxy-propyltripropoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-glycidyloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane and 3-glycidyloxypropyltriisopropoxysilane,

together with compounds of the formula (II), are selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, 1,2- or 2,3-butylene oxide, isobutylene oxide, 1,2-dodecene oxide, styrene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, and 2,3-epoxy-1-propanol,

and/or with compounds of the formula (III), are selected from the group consisting of allyl glycidyl ether, butyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl glycidyl ether, C 12 /C 14 -fatty alcohol glycidyl ether, phenyl glycidyl ether, p-tert-butylphenyl glycidyl ether, o-cresyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate and glycidyl neodecanoate,

and/or with compounds of the formula (IV), are selected from the group consisting of ε-caprolactone and δ-valerolactone,

and/or with compounds of the formula (V) or (VI), are selected from the group consisting of succinic anhydride, oct(en)yl, dec(en)yl and dodec(en)yl succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, hexahydro-, tetrahydro-, dihydro-, methylhexahydro- and methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride, alone or in mixtures with one another.

13. The polyether structure according to claim 6 , wherein R 1 is a polyether fragment and in which at least one fragment which has been inserted into the forming modified polymer chain as a result of the reaction with ring-opening of the reaction components of the formulae (I) to (VI).