Cellulose‐Derived Functional Polyacetal by Cationic Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Levoglucosenyl Methyl Ether

Abstract

Abstract The unsaturated bicyclic acetal levoglucosenyl methyl ether was readily obtained from sustainable feedstock (cellulose) and polymerized by cationic ring‐opening polymerization to produce a semicrystalline thermoplastic unsaturated polyacetal with relatively high apparent molar mass (up to ca. 36\u2005kg\u2009mol−1) and decent dispersity (ca. 1.4). The double bonds along the chain can undergo hydrogenation and thiol–ene reactions as well as crosslinking, thus making this polyacetal potentially interesting as a reactive functional material.