Summary: | The effect of three different cerium salts (Ce(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O, CeCl<sub>3</sub>·7H<sub>2</sub>O and Ce(OOCCH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>·5H<sub>2</sub>O) on the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of a model diamine-based benzoxazine (4EP-pPDA) was investigated. With the incorporation of the cerium salts, the curing temperature of 4EP-pPDA is reduced substantially, and the glass transition temperatures of the resulting networks are increased significantly. The three cerium salts exhibit different catalytic activities, which were analyzed by FT-IR, NMR, and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). Ce(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>3</sub>·6H<sub>2</sub>O was found to exhibit the best catalytic effect, which seems to be related to its better dispersibility within 4EP-pPDA benzoxazine precursors.
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