On the contribution of different reaction routes to polymer formation in reversible polymerization. Oxepane and 1,3‐dioxolane polymerization cases

Abstract The analysis of the contributions of different propagation routes in reversible polymerization was performed. It was shown by computer simulations that material and kinetic contributions of the given propagation route can differ. An especially large difference between these quantities was found in the simulated polymerization of 1,3‐dioxolane. This allowed to explain the unexpectedly large difference between the values of the apparent rate constant of propagation and the estimated rate constant of the corresponding elementary reaction of propagation in the polymerization of 1,3‐dioxolane.