Process for preparing branched polyethercarbonates and use thereof

1. A process for preparing branched polyethers, comprising:

(a) reacting a starter of the general formula (II) with one or more reactants suitable for ring-opening polymerization selected from the group consisting of alkylene oxides, glycidyl ethers, lactones and cyclic acid anhydrides, to obtain a first reaction mixture,

 wherein formula (II) is:

Z(X—H) j   (II);

where:

X=independently at each occurrence O, NH, N-alkyl, N-aryl or S;

j=1-3; and

Z=any organic radical, selected from a saturated or unsaturated alkyl radical, an aryl radical, or an aralkyl radical, with each X being linked to a carbon atom of the organic radical;

(b) reacting the first reaction mixture obtained in step (a) with glycerol carbonate to obtain a second reaction mixture;

 wherein the glycerol carbonate is added at a rate of 0.1 to 10 mol/h, in each case per mol of (XH) in the starters used; and

(c) reacting the second reaction mixture obtained in step (b) with one or more reactants suitable for ring-opening polymerization

 wherein the branched polyethers have at least one structural unit —O—C(O)—O—.

2. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein the reaction in steps (a) and (c) is an alkoxylation.

3. The process according to claim 1 ;

wherein the starter (II) is a saturated or unsaturated alkyl compound, an aryl compound, or an aralkyl compound; and

wherein:

X═O; and

j=1 to 3.

4. A compound of the formula (I):

Z(—X-M1 i1 -M2 i2 -M3 i3 -M4 i4 -M5 i5 -M6 i6 -M7 i7 -M8 i8 -M9 i9 -M10 i10 -M11 i11 -J i12 ) i (—X-J) k   (I)

where:

i=1 to 10;

k=0 to 9;

i+k=1 to 10;

i1 to i12=each independently of one another 0 to 100;

X=identically or differently O, NH, N-alkyl, N-aryl, or S,

Z=any desired organic radical, with each X being linked to a carbon atom of the organic radical;

J=independently at each occurrence is selected from the group consisting of:

hydrogen;

a linear, cyclic, or branched, aliphatic or aromatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon radical having 1 up to 30 C atoms;

a carboxylic acid radical having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and

a functional, organic, saturated or unsaturated radical substituted by heteroatoms;

where, in M3, X 1 to X 4 are each independently of one another:

hydrogen; or

a linear, cyclic, or branched, aliphatic or aromatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 50 C atoms, and may optionally contain halogen atoms;

with the proviso that X 1 to X 4 are not selected such that M3 is the same as M1 or M2,

where Y independently at each occurrence is a linear, cyclic, or branched, aliphatic or aromatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon radical having 2 to 30 C atoms, and optionally contain heteroatoms;

where R 1 and R 2 are each independently of one another either:

hydrogen or

an alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl group; and

n independently in each of unit M10 is 3 to 8; and

R 1 and R 2 in each unit M10 are identical or different;

where:

R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 are each independently of one another hydrogen or an organic radical;

T may or may not be present; and

m and o are each independently of one another 1 to 8;

with the proviso that R 3 and R 6 optionally form a bond; and

with the proviso that, when R 4 and R 5 are each a hydrocarbon radical, the radicals R 4 and R 5 optionally are bridged cycloaliphatically or aromatically via the fragment T , where T represents either a divalent alkylene or alkenylene radical which is optionally further substituted; and

where the indices m and o and the radicals T, R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , and R 6 in each unit M11 are identical or different;

where the units M1 to M11 may be arranged in any proportions, and, blockwise, in alternation or at random, and optionally also have a distribution gradient; and

where the units M1 to M4 in particular are freely permutable;

with the provisos that:

i9 is 0, 1 to 100;

at least one unit M5 or M6 is present and is adjoined at no end directly by a radical J and at each end by at least one unit selected from M1, M2 and M3; and

two units of the type M9 do not follow one another.

5. The compound according to claim 4 ;

wherein the radical J in formula (I) is a hydrogen atom, or a methyl or acetyl radical.

6. The compound according to claim 4 ;

wherein the sum total Σi5 to i9 is ≧i+1.

7. The compound according to claim 4 ;

wherein:

i1 is greater than 0; and

i2, i3, and i4 are each 0.

8. The compound according to claim 4 ;

wherein Σ i5+i6 is ≧i+1.

9. The compound according to claim 4 ;

wherein the unit M9 is linked directly to the unit M5, M6, M7, or M8.

10. A composition comprising:

the compound according to claim 4 .

11. A method of obtaining the compound according to claim 4 , comprising:

(a) reacting a starter of the general formula (II) with one or more reactants suitable for ring-opening polymerization to obtain a first reaction mixture, wherein formula (II) is:

Z(X—H) j   (II);

where:

X=independently at each occurrence O, NH, N-alkyl, N-aryl or S;

j=1-10; and

Z=any organic radical, with each X being linked to a carbon atom of the organic radical;

(b) reacting the first reaction mixture obtained in step (a) with glycerol carbonate to obtain a second reaction mixture; and

(c) reacting the second reaction mixture obtained in step (b) with one or more reactants suitable for ring-opening polymerization.

12. A method comprising:

utilizing the compound according to claim 4 as a surface-active substance, as an additive for ceramic formulations, as an additive in coating materials, polymeric moulding compounds, or thermoplastics, as a food additive, as a crosslinker, as a thickener, as an additive for polyurethane compounds, as a support of catalysts, or as an adjuvant for cosmetic formulations or cleaning compositions; or

utilizing the compound according to claim 4 in the production of paints, inks, or adhesives, or in biomedicine.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glycerol carbonate is added at a rate of 0.5 to 5 mol/h.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glycerol carbonate is added a rate of 1 to 2.5 mol/h.