A convenient synthesis of α,α′‐ homo‐ and α,α′‐hetero‐bifunctionalized poly(ε‐caprolactone)s by ring opening polymerization: The potentially valuable precursors for miktoarm star copolymers

Two new ring opening polymerization (ROP) initiators, namely, (3‐allyl‐2‐(allyloxy)phenyl)methanol and (3‐allyl‐2‐(prop‐2‐yn‐1‐yloxy)phenyl)methanol each containing two reactive functionalities viz. allyl, allyloxy and allyl, propargyloxy, respectively, were synthesized from 3‐allylsalicyaldehyde as a starting material. Well defined α‐allyl, α′‐allyloxy and α‐allyl, α′‐propargyloxy bifunctionalized poly(ε‐caprolactone)s with molecular weights in the range 4200–9500 and 3600–10,900 g/mol and molecular weight distributions in the range 1.16–1.18 and 1.15–1.16, respectively, were synthesized by ROP of ε‐caprolactone employing these initiators. The presence of α‐allyl, α′‐allyloxy and α‐allyl, α′‐propargyloxy functionalities on poly(ε‐caprolactone)s was confirmed by FT‐IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI‐TOF analysis. The kinetic study of ROP of ε‐caprolactone with both the initiators revealed the pseudo first order kinetics with respect to ε‐caprolactone consumption and controlled behavior of polymerization reactions. The usefulness of α‐allyl, α′‐allyloxy functionalities on poly(ε‐caprolactone) was demonstrated by performing the thiol‐ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to obtain (mPEG)₂‐PCL miktoarm star copolymer. α‐Allyl, α′‐propargyloxy functionalities on poly(ε‐caprolactone) were utilized in orthogonal reactions i.e copper catalyzed alkyne‐azide click (CuAAC) with azido functionalized poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) followed by thiol‐ene reaction with poly(ethylene glycol) thiol to synthesize PCL‐PNIPAAm‐mPEG miktoarm star terpolymer. The preliminary characterization of A₂B and ABC miktoarm star copolymers was carried out by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 844–860     

Preparation and physical properties of poly(4,4′‐diamino‐3′‐carbamoylbenzanilide terephthalamide) and poly(4,4′‐diamino‐3′‐carbamoylbenzanilide isophthalamide) films

To prepare thermally stable and high‐performance polymeric films, new solvent‐soluble aromatic polyamides with a carbamoyl pendant group, namely poly(4,4′‐diamino‐3′‐carbamoylbenzanilide terephthalamide) (p‐PDCBTA) and poly(4,4′‐diamino‐3′‐carbamoylbenzanilide isophthalamide) (m‐PDCBTA), were synthesized. The polymers were cyclized at around 200 to 350 °C to form quinazolone and benzoxazinone units along the polymer backbone. The decomposition onset temperatures of the cyclized m‐ and p‐PDCBTAs were 457 and 524 °C, respectively, lower than that of poly(p‐phenylene terephthalamide) (566 °C). For the p‐PDCBTA film drawn by 40% and heat‐treated, the tensile strength and Young's modulus were 421 MPa and 16.4 GPa, respectively. The film cyclized at 350 °C showed a storage modulus (E′) of 1 × 10¹¹ dyne/cm² (10 GPa) over the temperature range of room temperature to 400 °C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 775–780, 2000     

Synthesis of optically active poly(amide‐imide)s derived from N,N′‐(4,4′‐carbonyldiphthaloyl)‐bis‐L‐leucine diacid chloride and aromatic diamines by microwave radiation

3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (4,4′‐carbonyldiphathalic anhydride) was reacted with L ‐leucine in a mixture of acetic acid and pyridine (3 : 2), and the resulting imide‐acid [N,N′‐(4,4′‐carbonyldiphthaloyl)‐bis‐L ‐leucine diacid] was obtained in quantitative yield. The compound was converted to the N,N′‐(4,4′‐carbonyldiphthaloyl)‐bis‐L ‐leucine diacid chloride by reaction with thionyl chloride. A new facile and rapid polycondensation reaction of this diacid chloride with several aromatic diamines such as 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane, 2,4‐diaminotoluene, 4,4′‐sulfonyldianiline, p‐phenylenedi‐amine, 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylether, and m‐phenylenediamine was developed by using a domestic microwave oven in the presence of a small amount of a polar organic medium such as O‐cresol. The polymerization reactions proceeded rapidly compared with the conventional solution polycondensation and were completed within 6 min, producing a series of optically active poly(amide‐imide)s with a high yield and an inherent viscosity of 0.37–0.57 dL/g. All of the above polymers were fully characterized by IR, elemental analyses, and specific rotation. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these optically active poly(amide‐imide)s are reported. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 177–186, 2001     

Synthesis of α,α′‐Bis(Substituted Benzylidene)Cycloalkanones Catalyzed by Amino‐Functionalized Ionic Liquid

Condensation of aromatic aldehydes with cyclopentanone and cyclohexanone using amino‐functionalized ionic liquid, 1‐aminoethyl‐3‐methyl tetrafluoroborate as solvent and catalyst was successfully performed for preparation of α,α′‐bis(substituted benzylidene)cycloalkanones. The catalyst can be recovered and reused for at least three times without apparently lose of activity. The process is simple, environmentally benign and proceeds in excellent yields.     

Amino acid‐based bioanalogous polymers. Synthesis,and study of regular poly(ester amide)s based on bis(α‐amino acid) α,ω‐alkylene diesters,and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids

The purpose of this research was to synthesize new regular poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) consisting of nontoxic building blocks like hydrophobic α‐amino acids, α,ω‐diols, and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, and to examine the effects of the structure of these building block components on some physico‐chemical and biochemical properties of the polymers. PEAs were prepared by solution polycondensation of di‐p‐toluenesulfonic acid salts of bis‐(α‐amino acid) α,ω‐alkylene diesters and di‐p‐nitrophenyl esters of diacids. Optimal conditions of this reaction have been studied. High molecular weight PEAs (M_w = 24,000–167,000) with narrow polydispersity (M_w/M_n = 1.20–1.81) were prepared under the optimal reaction conditions and exhibited excellent film‐forming properties. PEAs obtained are mostly amorphous materials with T_g from 11 to 59°C. α‐Chymotrypsin catalyzed in vitro hydrolysis of these new PEA substrates was studied to assess the effect of the building blocks of these new polymers on their biodegradation properties. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 391–407, 1999     

Chemical synthesis of poly‐γ‐glutamic acid by polycondensation of γ‐glutamic acid dimer: Synthesis and reaction of poly‐γ‐glutamic acid methyl ester

α‐Methyl glutamic acid (L ‐L )‐, (L ‐D )‐, (D ‐L )‐, and (D ‐D )‐γ‐dimers were synthesized from L ‐ and D ‐glutamic acids, and the obtained dimers were subjected to polycondensation with 1‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐3‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and 1‐hydroxybenzotriazole hydrate as condensation reagents. Poly‐γ‐glutamic acid (γ‐PGA) methyl ester with the number‐average molecular weights of 5000∼20,000 were obtained by polycondensation in N,N‐dimethylformamide in 44∼91% yields. The polycondensation of (L ‐L )‐ and (D ‐D )‐dimers afforded the polymers with much larger |[α]_D | compared with the corresponding dimers. The polymer could be transformed into γ‐PGA by alkaline hydrolysis or transesterification into α‐benzyl ester followed by hydrogenation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 732–741, 2001     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) reinforced by N,N′‐diphenyl biphenyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxydiimide moieties

Starting with 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and methyl aminobenzoate, we synthesized a novel rodlike imide‐containing monomer, N,N′‐bis[p‐(methoxy carbonyl) phenyl]‐biphenyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxydiimide (BMBI). The polycondensation of BMBI with dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol yielded a series of copoly(ester imide)s based on the BMBI‐modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) backbone. Compared with PET, these BMBI‐modified polyesters had higher glass‐transition temperatures and higher stiffness and strength. In particular, the poly(ethylene terephthalate imide) PETI‐5, which contained 5 mol % of the imide moieties, had a glass‐transition temperature of 89.9 °C (11 °C higher than the glass‐transition temperature of PET), a tensile modulus of 869.4 MPa (20.2 % higher than that of PET), and a tensile strength of 80.8 MPa (38.8 % higher than that of PET). Therefore, a significant reinforcing effect was observed in these imide‐modified polyesters, and a new approach to higher property polyesters was suggested. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 852–863, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10169     

Blends of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/4,4′‐thiodiphenol and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate)/ 4,4′‐thiodiphenol: Specific interaction and properties

The specific interaction between poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] and 4,4′‐thiodiphenol (TDP) and between poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and TDP was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Interassociated hydrogen bonds were found between the polyester chains and the TDP molecules in the binary blends. The fractions of associated carbonyl groups, F_b 's, in the blends first increased and then decreased as the TDP content increased. The thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of P(3HB)–TDP and PHBV–TDP blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, respectively. Thermal analysis revealed that the P(3HB)–TDP blends possessed eutectic phase behavior. Furthermore, it was found that the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of P(3HB) and PHBV were greatly modified through blending with TDP. Environmental degradability in river water was evaluated by a biochemical oxygen demand tester, and it was clarified that TDP lowered the degradation rate of P(3HB). The results suggest that TDP is effective in modifying the physical properties as well as the biodegradability of polyesters. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2891–2900, 2000     

Polymerization of 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)‐N,N′‐bis(phthaloyl‐L‐leucine) diacid chloride with aromatic diamines by microwave irradiation

A new facile and rapid polycondensation reaction of 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)‐N,N′‐bis(phthaloyl‐L‐leucine) diacid chloride (1) with several aromatic diamines, including benzidine (2a), 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane (2b), 1,5‐diaminoanthraquinone (2c), 4,4′‐sulfonyldianiline (2d), 3,3′‐diaminobenzophenone (2e), P‐phenylenediamine (2f), 2,6‐diaminopyridine (2g), 4,4′‐diaminobenzophenone (2h), 2,4‐diaminotoluene (2i), and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylether (2j), was developed with a domestic microwave oven in the presence of a small amount of a polar organic medium such as o‐cresol. The polymerization reactions proceeded rapidly compared to conventional solution polycondensation and finished within 12 min, producing a series of optically active poly(amide‐imide)s with quantitative yields and high inherent viscosities of 0.50–1.93 dL/g. All of the polymers were fully characterized by IR, elemental analyses, and specific rotation. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these optically active poly(amide‐imide)s are reported. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1154–1160, 2000     

Free‐radical copolymerization of styrene and m‐isopropenyl‐α,α′‐dimethylbenzyl isocyanate studied by 1H NMR kinetic experiments

The free‐radical copolymerization of m‐isopropenyl‐α,α′‐dimethylbenzyl isocyanate (TMI) and styrene was studied with ¹H NMR kinetic experiments at 70 °C. Monomer conversion vs time data were used to determine the ratio k_p × k_t^?0.5 for various comonomer mixture compositions (where k_p is the propagation rate coefficient and k_t is the termination rate coefficient). The ratio k_p × k_t^?0.5 varied from 25.9 × 10^?3 L^0.5 mol^?0.5 s^?0.5 for pure styrene to 2.03 × 10^?3 L^0.5 mol^?0.5 s^?0.5 for 73 mol % TMI, indicating a significant decrease in the rate of polymerization with increasing TMI content in the reaction mixture. Traces of the individual monomer conversion versus time were used to map out the comonomer mixture composition drift up to overall monomer conversions of 35%. Within this conversion range, a slight but significant depletion of styrene in the monomer feed was observed. This depletion became more pronounced at higher levels of TMI in the initial comonomer mixture. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1064–1074, 2002     

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer graft copolymerization of styrene and m‐isopropenyl‐α,α′‐dimethylbenzyl isocyanate from polypropylene lanterns: Solid phases for scavenging applications

The γ‐initiated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer mediated free‐radical graft copolymerization of styrene and m‐isopropenyl‐α,α′‐dimethylbenzyl isocyanate (TMI) from a polypropylene (PP) solid phase was performed with cumyl phenyldithioacetate (CPDA) as the chain‐transfer agent. The initial CPDA concentration was 8 × 10^?3 mol L^?1. Polymerizations were performed with a dose rate of 0.18 kGy h^?1 at the ambient temperature. Initial comonomer mixtures with 15, 30, and 50 mol % TMI were used. Depending on the amount of TMI in the initial comonomer mixture, the plot of the grafting ratio versus the time showed two grafting regimes (for 15 and 50 mol % TMI) or one (for 30 mol % TMI). Scavenger lanterns with 15 and 50 mol % TMI featured two isocyanate loading regimes, the second with higher loading capacities. The scavenger lanterns with 30 mol % TMI showed a linear loading capacity over the full grafting ratio. A maximum loading capacity of 110 μmol per scavenger lantern was achieved with 50 mol % TMI at a grafting ratio of approximately 60 wt %. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 857–864, 2006     

Synthesis of new optically active α,α′,β‐trisubstituted‐β‐lactones as monomers for stereoregular biopolyesters

Various optically active (4R)‐alkyloxycarbonyl‐3,3‐dialkyl‐2‐oxetanones as monomers were synthesized from L‐(S)‐malic acid in six steps to prepare a new family of stereopolyesters for biomedical applications. The synthesis began with an esterification followed of a dialkylation in the aim to introduce hydrophobic groups as methyl or reactive group as allyl. Then, a saponification has permitted to obtain the corresponding diacids that reacted with appropriate alcohols to furnish different monoesters. The last and most important step was activation of hydroxyl group of monoesters with the asymmetric carbon configuration inversion according to the Mitsunobu reaction. Thus, this reaction has provided lactones from monoesters with 100% enantiomeric excess which was confirmed by ¹H NMR and by the synthesis of corresponding isotactic and semicrystalline homopolyesters. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2586–2597     

Synthesis and characterization of thermally stable sulfonated polybenzimidazoles obtained from 3,3′‐disulfonyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxyldiphenylsulfone

A novel sulfonated aromatic diacid, 3,3′‐disulfonyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxyldiphenylsulfone (DSDCDPS), was successfully synthesized from 4,4′‐dimethyldiphenylsulfone by sulfonation and further oxidation. A series of sulfonated polybenzimidazoles (sPBI‐SS) with various sulfonation degrees was prepared from DSDCDPS, 4,4′‐sulfonyldibenzoic acid and 3,3′‐diaminobenzidine by solution copolycondensation in poly(phosphoric acid). The chemical structure of the resulting sPBI‐SS was confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR. The DSDCDPS‐based sPBI‐SS with the number‐average molecular weights of 32,000–55,000 were easy to dissolve in polar aprotic solvents such as DMF, DMSO, and DMAc, and could be cast into transparent, tough, and flexible membranes. The membranes presented good thermal stabilities (5% weight loss temperatures higher than 430 °C), and the thermal degradation activation energies of the sulfonic group of sPBI‐SS40 evaluated under N₂ by both Ozawa and Kissinger methods were 266.06 and 264.79 kJ/mol, respectively. The membranes also exhibited high storage moduli, glass transition temperatures (above 238 °C) and tensile strengths (～80 MPa), in addition to water uptakes (22.3–25.2%) and low swelling degrees (<14.0%). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 43: 4363–4372, 2005     

Helical Poly(α,β‐unsaturated ketone) with Bulky Pendant of Binaphthyl from Anionic Polymerization of ((−)‐Menthyl (S)‐6′‐Acrylyl‐2′‐methyloxy‐1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2‐carboxylate

((?)‐Menthyl (S)‐6′‐acrylyl‐2′‐methyloxy‐1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2‐carboxylate ( 3 ) was synthesized and anionically polymerized using n‐BuLi as an initiator in toluene. The monomer 3 was levorotatory and had an [α]_D²⁵ value of ?72.4, but its corresponding polymer poly‐ 3 was dextrorotatory and showed an [α]_D²⁵ value of +162.0. Poly‐ 3 was confirmed to exist in the form of one‐handed helical structure in solution by means of comparing the specific optical rotation and the CD spectra with that of 3 and the model compounds such as (?)‐menthyl (S)‐6′‐propionyl‐2′‐methyloxy‐1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2‐carboxylate 2b and (?)‐menthyl (S)‐6′‐heptanoyl‐2′‐methyloxy‐1,1′‐binaphthalene‐2‐carboxylate 2c . This conclusion was also confirmed by the fact that the g‐value of poly‐ 3 is about 11 times of that of monomer 3 .     

Synthesis and characterization of novel,optically active poly(amide‐imide)s from N,N′‐(4,4′‐sulfonediphthaloyl)‐bis‐L‐phenylalanine diacid chloride and aromatic diamines under microwave irradiation

3,3′,4,4′‐Diphenylsulfonetetracarboxylic dianhydride was reacted with L ‐phenylalanine in acetic acid, and the resulting imide acid ( 3 ) was obtained in high yield. The diacid chloride ( 4 ) was obtained from its diacid derivative ( 3 ) by reaction with thionyl chloride. The polycondensation reaction of 4 with several aromatic diamines such as 4,4′‐sulfonyldianiline, 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane, 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylether, p‐phenylenediamine, m‐phenylenediamine, 2,4‐diaminotoluene, and 1,5‐diaminonaphthalene was developed with a domestic microwave oven in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride and a small amount of a polar organic medium such as o‐cresol. The polymerization reactions were also performed with two other methods: low‐temperature solution polycondensation in the presence of trimethylsilyl chloride and reflux conditions. A series of optically active poly(amide‐imide)s with moderate inherent viscosities of 0.21–0.42 dL/g were obtained in high yield. All of the aforementioned polymers were fully characterized by IR, ¹H NMR elemental analyses, and specific rotation techniques. Some structural characterizations and physical properties of these optically active poly(amide‐imide) s are reported. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3974–3988, 2003     

Thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymers prepared from a dihalide monomer and a salt of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid

Alkali and earth‐alkali salts of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid (DCPDCA) were prepared and employed as monomers in the polyesterification with an α,ω‐dihalide monomer, such as 1,4‐dichlorobutane (DCB), 1,4‐dibromobutane (DBB), α,α′‐dichloro‐p‐xylene (DCX), and α,α′‐dibromo‐p‐xylene (DBX). Novel linear polymers that possessed repeating moieties of dicyclopentadiene ( DCPD ) in the backbone were thus prepared. The IR and NMR spectra indicated that poly(tetramethylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PTMDD) with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n ) of about 1× 10⁴ and poly(p‐xylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PXDD) with a M_n of 4–6 × 10³ were obtained with an yield of about 80% via the polyesterification of the alkali salts with DBB and DCX, respectively. The reaction was carried out in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, such as BzMe₃NBr or poly(ethylene glycol), in DMF at 100 °C for 4 h. Oligomers with a lower M_n (1–2 × 10³) were obtained when the earth‐alkali salts were employed as salt monomers. Compared to the irreversible linear polymers, poly(p‐xylene terephthalate) (PXTP) and poly(p‐xylene maleate) (PXM), prepared through the reaction between DCX and the potassium salts of terephthalic and maleic acid, respectively, the specific viscosities (η_sp) of the new linear polymers increased abnormally with the decrease of the temperature from 200 °C to 100 °C. This occurred due to the thermally reversible dedimerization/redimerization of  DCPD moieties of the backbone of the polymers via the catalyst‐free Diels–Alder/retro Diels–Alder cycloadditive reactions. The ratio of the η_sp at 100 °C and 200 °C of the reversible polymers was found to be much higher than that of PXTP and PXM, even when the heating/cooling cycle was carried out several times under a N₂ atmosphere. The obtained results indicated that thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymer can be obtained by introducing the  DCPD structure into the backbone of the polymer through the polymerization of a monomer containing the  DCPD moiety. The reversible natures of the polymers and oligomers might be useful in preparing easily processable and recyclable polymers and thermosensor materials. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1662–1672, 2000     

Radical‐initiated polymerization of β‐methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone

β‐Methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone (MMBL) was synthesized and then was polymerized in an N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution with 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) initiation. The homopolymer of MMBL was soluble in DMF and acetonitrile. MMBL was homopolymerized without competing depolymerization from 50 to 70 °C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) for MMBL followed the kinetic expression R_p = [AIBN]^0.54[MMBL]^1.04. The overall activation energy was calculated to be 86.9 kJ/mol, k_p/k_t^1/2 was equal to 0.050 (where k_p is the rate constant for propagation and k_t is the rate constant for termination), and the rate of initiation was 2.17 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1. The free energy of activation, the activation enthalpy, and the activation entropy were 106.0, 84.1, and 0.0658 kJ mol^?1, respectively, for homopolymerization. The initiation efficiency was approximately 1. Styrene and MMBL were copolymerized in DMF solutions at 60 °C with AIBN as the initiator. The reactivity ratios (r₁ = 0.22 and r₂ = 0.73) for this copolymerization were calculated with the Kelen–Tudos method. The general reactivity parameter Q and the polarity parameter e for MMBL were calculated to be 1.54 and 0.55, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1759–1777, 2003     

Improved Preparation of 3,3′,4,4′‐Tetramethyldiphenylethane by Self Coupling Reaciton in Aqueous Media

In this article, 3,3′,4,4′‐tetramethyldiphenylethane was obtained in 86.5% total yield by self coupling reaction of 3,4‐dimethylbenzyl chloride catalyzed by Cu/Cu₂Cl₂/PEG‐600 and promoted by iron in aqueous media and the starting material 3,4‐dimethylbenzyl chloride was prepared by chloromethylation of o‐xylene in CTAB micellar catalytic system. Compared to other synthetic methods, the improved method not only enhanced the yield, but also made the operating units easy workup. The mechanisms of the chloromethylation and the self coupling were proposed. The structures of the products were confirmed by Elemental analysis, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR or compared with authentic samples.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel reactive ladderlike 4,4′‐phenylene ether‐bridged polyvinylsiloxane

A novel soluble, reactive ladderlike 4,4′‐phenylene ether‐bridged polyvinylsiloxane (L) was synthesized successfully for the first time by a stepwise coupling polymerization (SCP) including hydrolysis and polycondensation. The monomer, 4,4′‐bis(vinyldimethoxysilyl)phenylene ether (M), was synthesized by Grignard reaction. The structures of the monomer and the polymer were characterized by infrared spectrometry (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ²⁹Si NMR), mass spectrometry (MS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). It is proposed from the characterization data that the polymer possesses an ordered ladderlike structure. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2702–2710, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of a series of wholly aromatic copolyesters containing 2‐(α‐phenylisopropyl)hydroquinone moiety

Two series of new wholly aromatic thermotropic copolyesters containing the 2‐(α‐phenylisopropyl)hydroquinone (PIHQ) moiety have been synthesized and their basic properties such as glass transition temperature (T_g), melting temperature (T_m), thermal stability, crystallinity, and liquid crystallinity were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometry (WAXD) and on a polarizing microscope. The first series was prepared from acetylated PIHQ, terephthalic acid (TPA), and 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDA), and the second series from acetylated PIHQ, TPA, and 1,1′‐biphenyl‐4,4′‐dicarboxylic acid (BDA). The T_g values (152–168°C) of the two series are not much different, although the values for the first series appear slightly higher. The T_m values (287–378°C) and the degree of crystallinity of the first series are appreciably greater than those of the second series. Such differences can be explained by the geometric structure of NDA and BDA moieties. All of the present polyesters are thermotropic and nematic. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 881–889, 1999