Patent 11939434 was granted and assigned to Stepan Company on March, 2024 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Copolymers comprising recurring units of a phenyl glycidyl ether and alkylene oxides are disclosed. Some of the copolymers comprise a di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator and recurring units of the phenyl glycidyl ether and an alkylene oxide. The di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator is an alcohol, phenol, amine, thiol, thiophenol, sulfinic acid, or deprotonated species thereof. Other copolymers comprise a monofunctional nucleophilic initiator selected from thiols, thiophenols, aralkylated phenols, sulfinic acids, secondary amines, C