Polyethylene glycol compounds and process for making

Abstract

A substituted polyethylene glycol compound and process for making. The compound has the formula RO(C 2 H 4 O) n H wherein R represents a C 1-7 hydrocarbon group and n represents the average number of moles of C 2 H 4 O groups, ranging from 500 to 2000. The compound has a ratio of weight average molecular weight to a number average molecular weight in the range of from 1 to 1.1. The compound contains less than ten weight percent polyethylene glycol. The gist of the process is the use of an aprotic polar solvent. When the aprotic polar solvent is a polyether solvent, then the n value of the compound ranges from 100 to 2000.

1 . A substituted polyethylene glycol compound having the formula RO(C 2 H 4 O) n H 
 wherein R represents a C 1-7  hydrocarbon group and n represents the average number of moles of C 2 H 4 O groups, ranging from 500 to 2000, the substituted polyethylene glycol compound having a ratio of weight average molecular weight to a number average molecular weight in the range of from 1 to 1.1, the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight of the substituted polyethylene glycol compound being determined by gel permeation chromatography.    
   
   
       2 . The compound of  claim 1 , wherein n is in the range of from 600 to 2000.  
   
   
       3 . The compound of  claim 1 , wherein n is in the range of from 700 to 1000.  
   
   
       4 . A mixture comprising a substituted polyethylene glycol compound and polyethylene glycol, the substituted polyethylene glycol compound having the formula  
       RO(C 2 H 4 O) n H 
     wherein R represents a C 1-7  hydrocarbon group; and n represents the average number of moles of C 2 H 4 O groups added, ranging from 500 to 2000, the substituted polyethylene glycol compound having a ratio of weight average molecular weight to number average molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography in the range of from 1 to 1.1, the amount of polyethylene glycol being less than ten mole percent of the total moles of polyethylene glycol and the substituted polyethylene glycol compound, the amount of the polyethylene glycol being determined by liquid chromatography under critical conditions.  
   
   
       5 . The mixture of  claim 4 , wherein n is in the range of from 600 to 2000.  
   
   
       6 . The mixture of  claim 4 , wherein n is in the range of from 700 to 1000.  
   
   
       7 . The mixture of  claim 4 , wherein the amount of polyethylene glycol is less than five mole percent of the total moles of polyethylene glycol and the substituted polyethylene glycol compound.  
   
   
       8 . The mixture of  claim 5 , wherein the amount of polyethylene glycol is less than five mole percent of the total moles of polyethylene glycol and the substituted polyethylene glycol compound.  
   
   
       9 . The mixture of  claim 6 , wherein the amount of polyethylene glycol is less than five mole percent of the total moles of polyethylene glycol and the substituted polyethylene glycol compound.  
   
   
       10 - 35 . (canceled)