The effect of compositions and combinations of the reactants upon the copolycondensation of isophthalic acid/terephthalic acid with a combination of hydroquinones and bisphenols by tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine

Copolycondensation of isophthalic acid (IPA)/terephthalic acid (TPA) with various combinations of 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane (BPA) and hydroquinones (HQs) or bisphenols (BPs) was conducted to study the effects of the compositions of IPA/TPA and of BPA/HQs or BPA/BPs upon the reaction. Different from homopolycondensation of each of diol components examined where most of the reaction was facilitated by lower contents of IPA at about 70 mol %, the copolycondensation was influenced by a combination of diol components. With chlorohydroquinone (ClHQ) or bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)sulfone (BPS) having a polar chlorine or sulfonyl substituent, the reaction proceeded most satisfactorily at IPA/TPA = 30/70, whereas it was IPA/TPA = 50/50 for the reaction with nonpolar methyl substituted methylhydroquinone (MeHQ). The reaction with 2,2‐bis(3,5‐dichloro‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane (TC‐BPA), despite having polar chlorine substituents in TC‐BPA, was not affected by IPA/TPA compositions. Alternatively, from the viewpoint of the compositions of diol components, the reactions containing 30–50 mol % of HQs or BPS yielded better results except for the reaction of IPA/TPA = 70/30, in which higher contents of MeHQ was more favorable. On the basis of sequence distributions of diol components in the resultant copolymers determined by NMR, compositions of IPA/TPA or diol components and combinations of the diols producing random copolymers yielded better results in copolycondensation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1100–1106, 2004     

Synthesis and thermal behavior of new poly(ethylene terephthalate‐imide)s

Copoly(ethylene terephthalate‐imide)s (PETIs) were synthesized by the melt copolycondensation of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)terephthalate with a new imide monomer, N,N′‐bis[p‐(2‐hydroxyethoxycarbonyl)phenyl]‐biphenyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxydiimide (BHEI). The copolymers were characterized by intrinsic viscosity, Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. Although their crystallinities decreased as the content of BHEI units increased, the glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) increased significantly. When 5 or 10 mol % BHEI units were incorporated into poly(ethylene terephthalate), T_g increased by 10 or 24 °C, respectively. The thermal stabilities of PETI copolymers were about the same as the thermal stability of PET, whereas the weight loss of PETIs decreased as the content of BHEI units increased. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 408–415, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(aryl ether imide)s containing electroactive perylene diimide and naphthalene diimide units

The synthesis and polymerization of two new electroactive bisphenols derived from 3,4,9,10‐perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and 1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐2‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane, respectively, are described. Copolymerization using the two new bisphenols and 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol with bis(4‐fluorophenyl)sulfone and 4,4′‐difluorobenzophenone, afforded a series of soluble electrochromic poly(aryl ether imide)s with glass‐transition temperatures ranging from 160 to 315 °C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3467–3475, 2000     

Aromatic-aliphatic copolyesters—II. Various polycondensation processes

Aromatic aliphatic copolyesters, using hydroquinone, resorcinol, 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl (DHBP) 2,2 bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulphone (DHDPS) as bisphenols and ethylene glycol as diol, have been synthesized by interfacial, low temperature and high temperature solution condensation. Relative reactivities of these bisphenols and ethylene glycol have been evaluated by various polycondensation methods at a fixed ratio of bisphenol/glycol. Decrease in the extent of polymerization and viscosity was observed by incorporation of aliphatic diol. Viscosity was also influenced by the chemical structure of the bisphenol.     

Influence of the bisphenol structure on the direct synthesis of sulfonated poly(arylene ether) copolymers. I

New sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers with high molecular weights were successfully synthesized with controlled degrees of disulfonation of up to 70 mol % via the direct copolymerization of sulfonated aromatic dihalides, aromatic dihalides, and one of four structurally distinct bisphenols. The disodium salts of the 3,3′‐disulfonated‐4,4′‐dichlorodiphenyl sulfone and 3,3′‐disulfonated‐4,4′‐difluorodiphenyl sulfone comonomers were synthesized via the sulfonation of 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenyl sulfone or 4,4′‐difluorodiphenyl sulfone with 30% fuming sulfuric acid at 110 °C. Four bisphenols (4,4′‐bisphenol A, 4,4′‐bisphenol AF, 4,4′‐biphenol, and hydroquinone) were investigated for the syntheses of novel copolymers with controlled degrees of sulfonation. The composition and incorporation of the sulfonated repeat unit into the copolymers were confirmed by ¹H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Solubility tests on the sulfonated copolymers confirmed that no crosslinking and probably no branching occurred during the copolymerizations. Tough, ductile films were solvent‐cast that exhibited increased water absorption with increasing degrees of sulfonation. These copolymers are promising candidates for high temperature proton‐exchange membranes in fuel cells, which will be reported separately in part II of this series. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2264–2276, 2003     

Preparation and characterization of poly(butylene terephthalate)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers via solid‐state and melt polymerization

To increase the T_g in combination with a retained crystallization rate, bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)terephthalate (BHET) was incorporated into poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) via solid‐state copolymerization (SSP). The incorporated BHET fraction depends on the miscibility of BHET in the amorphous phase of PBT prior to SSP. DSC measurements showed that BHET is only partially miscible. During SSP, the miscible BHET fraction reacts via transesterification reactions with the mobile amorphous PBT segments. The immiscible BHET fraction reacts by self‐condensation, resulting in the formation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) homopolymer. ¹H‐NMR sequence distribution analysis showed that self‐condensation of BHET proceeded faster than the transesterification with PBT. SAXS measurements showed an increase in the long period with increasing fraction BHET present in the mixtures used for SSP followed by a decrease due to the formation of small PET crystals. DSC confirmed the presence of separate PET crystals. Furthermore, the incorporation of BHET via SSP resulted in PBT‐PET copolymers with an increased T_g compared to PBT. However, these copolymers showed a poorer crystallization behavior. The modified copolymer chain segments are apparently fully miscible with the unmodified PBT chains in the molten state. Consequently, the crystal growth process is retarded resulting in a decreased crystallization rate and crystallinity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 882–899, 2007.     

Effect of association of dicarboxylic acids activated by TsCl/DMF/pyridine upon the copolycondensation with bisphenols

When a mixture of terephthalic acid (TPA) and various dicarboxylic acids was activated by tosyl chloride (TsCl)/dimethyl‐ formamide (DMF)/pyridine (Py), the resulting mixture became dissolved in Py, although the activated TPA was insoluble even at 120 °C. The temperature at which the mixture became soluble was varied with their compositions and the structure of diacids. Mixing the separately activated TPA and isophthalic acid (IPA) also improved the solubility of the activated TPA to some extent. The interesting phenomena were attributed to associations of the activated diacids through the dipole–dipole interactions between the carbonyl groups. The structures of associates were estimated in terms of transition temperatures of the thermotropic IPA/TPA‐methylhydroquinone and IPA/TPA‐chlorohydroquinone copolymers. The transition temperatures were significantly affected by the temperature of polycondensation, the preparative procedures of a mixture of the activated diacids, and several additives. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 196–201, 2001     

Thermotropic copolyesters prepared by solution polycondensation with TsCl/DMF/pyridine condensing agent

When mixtures of terephthalic acid (TPA) and 1,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDC) or 4,4′-dicarboxydiphenylether (DCDPE), TPA, and isophthalic acid (IPA) were reacted in pyridine (Py) with Tosyl chloride (TsCl)/DMF/Py to activate the diacids, the reaction mixture was soluble in Py, despite each of the separately activated diacids being insoluble. The solubility of the activated diacids was examined at a variety of acid compositions and temperatures. It was expected that a competitive reaction among the diacids with an aromatic diol in solution might be different from those in the melt, resulting in a different distribution of the acids in the copolymers. The TPA/NDC-phenylhydroquinone and DCDPE/TPA/IPA-chlorohydroquinone copolymers were prepared in solution using TsCl/DMF/Py as the condensing agent and the transition temperatures of these liquid crystalline copolyesters were compared to those obtained by melt copolycondensation. A practical depression of the transition temperature by the solution polycondensation was observed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3710–3714, 1999     

Copolycondensation of various compositions of isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid with hydroquinones or bisphenols by tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine

The polycondensation of isophthalic acid (IPA)/terephthalic acid (TPA) with aromatic diols by tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine in solution was examined through changes in the IPA/TPA compositions, the kinds of dihydroxyl components, the periods of their addition, and the reaction temperatures. The reaction proceeded favorably at IPA/TPA ratios of 70/30 to 50/50, similarly to an earlier report on the interfacial reaction. The effects of the compositions were significant in the reactions with monosubstituted hydroquinones. The results were examined from distributions of the resulting oligomers prepared at a reaction extent of 0.7, determined by gel permeation chromatography. The reaction producing better results exhibited distributions closer to the theoretical ones. The period of addition also favorably affected the distributions as well as the results of the polycondensation. These results were attributed to the change in the reaction method, in which the diols reacted with the aggregates that formed from the activated IPA and TPA. The change was likely caused by the degree of association of IPA and TPA in the aggregates, on the basis of melting points and IR spectra of mixtures of dimethyl esters of IPA and TPA prepared by the quenching of the aggregates with methanol. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2321–2328, 2004     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units. I. Synthesis and characterization

Poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐5‐nitroisophthalate) copolymers, abbreviated as PETNI, were synthesized via a two‐step melt copolycondensation of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) 5‐nitroisophthalate mixtures with molar ratios of these two comonomers varying from 95/5 to 50/50. Polymerization reactions were carried out at temperatures between 200 and 270 °C in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. The copolyesters were characterized by solution viscosity, GPC, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. They were found to be random copolymers and to have a comonomer composition in accordance with that used in the corresponding feed. The copolyesters became less crystalline and showed a steady decay in the melting temperature as the content in 5‐nitroisophthalic units increased. They all showed glass‐transition temperatures superior to that of PET with the maximum value at 85 °C being observed for the 50/50 composition. PETNI copolyesters appeared stable up to 300 °C and thermal degradation was found to occur in two well‐differentiated steps. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1934–1942, 2000     

Synthesis and properties of fluorine‐containing polyethers with pendant hydroxyl groups by the polyaddition of bis(epoxide)s with diols

Fluorine‐containing polyethers with pendant hydroxyl groups were synthesized by the polyaddition of fluorine‐containing bis(epoxide)s with certain fluorine‐containing diols with quaternary onium salts as catalysts. When the polyaddition was performed with 2,2′,6,6′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐biphenol diglycidiyl ether and 2,2′,6,6′‐tetrafluoro‐4,4′‐biphenol, the corresponding polyether with pendant hydroxyl groups was successfully obtained in good yield. The polyaddition of certain fluorine‐containing bis(epoxide)s with diols also proceeded in bulk to provide the corresponding fluorine‐containing polyethers with high molecular weights. These polyethers were highly transparent at 157 nm for 0.1 μm thickness, with their transmittance of 14–75% at 157 nm. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2543–2550, 2004     

Synthesis of polyesters by the polyaddition of bis(oxetane)s with active di(ester)s

The polyaddition of bis(oxetane)s 1,4‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanylmethoxymethyl)]benzene (BEOB), 4,4′‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy]benzene (4,4′‐BEOBP), 1,4‐bis[(3‐ethy‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy] ‐benzene (1,4‐BEOMB), 1,2‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy]benzene (1,2‐BEOMB), 4,4‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy]biphenyl (4,4′‐BEOMB), 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐[4,4′‐bis(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy]biphenyl (TM‐BEOBP) with active diesters di‐s‐phenylthioterephthalate (PTTP), di‐s‐phenylthioisoterephthalate (PTIP), 4,4′‐di(p‐nitrophenyl)terephthalate (NPTP), 4,4′‐di(p‐nitrophenyl)isoterephthalate (NPIP) were carried out in the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride (TPPC) as a catalyst in NMP for 24 h, affording corresponding polyesters with M_n's in the range 2200–18,200 in 41–98% yields. The obtained polymers would soluble in common organic solvents and had high thermal stabilities. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1528–1536, 2004     

Attempt to control monomer sequences in copolycondensations of IPA,TPA, BPA,and PHB

Copolycondensations of IPA, TPA, BPA, and PHB were studied to investigate how PHB, which can form mesogenic segments, should be incorporated into the amorphous IPA/TPA–BPA polyester to obtain the thermotropic copolyester, unlike other copolymerizations studied so far by randomly introducing nonmesogenic components into the liquid crystalline polyesters. Random and controlled copolycondensations were attempted to regulate the segment length of mesogenic PHB units by stepwise addition of BPA and PHB through the two- and three-stage reactions using TsCl/DMF/Py as a condensing agent. Thermotropic copolyesters with ca. 40 mol % PHB could be obtained by a three-stage reaction, despite that more than 70 mol % PHB is needed to prepare by usual random copolymerization with PHB. The segment length of the PHB unit was indirectly studied from IPA/TPA–BPA oligomer distribution at initial reaction by means of GPC and from the NMR analysis of the resulting copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2371–2377, 1999     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units. III. Methanolytic degradation

The methanolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers containing 5‐nitroisophthalic units was investigated. Random copolyesters containing 10 and 30 mol % of such units were prepared via a two‐step melt copolycondensation of bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) 5‐nitroisophthalate (BHENI) in the presence of tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. First, the susceptibility of these two comonomers toward methanolysis was evaluated, and their reaction rates were estimated with high‐performance liquid chromatography. BHENI appeared to be much more reactive than both BHET and bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) isophthalate. The methanolysis of PET and the copolyesters was carried out at 100 °C, and the degradation process was followed by changes in the weight and viscosity, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The copolyesters degraded faster than PET, and the rate of degradation increased with the content of nitrated units. The products resulting from methanolysis were concluded to be dimethyl terephthalate, dimethyl 5‐nitroisophthalate, ethylene glycol, and small, soluble oligomers. For both PET and the copolyesters, an increase in crystallinity was observed during the degradation process, indicating that methanolysis preferentially occurred in the amorphous phase. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 76–87, 2002     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units. III. Methanolytic degradation

The methanolytic degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units was investigated. Random poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐nitroterephthalate) copolyesters (PETNT) containing 15 and 30 mol % nitrated units were prepared from ethylene glycol and a mixture of dimethyl terephthalate and dimethyl nitroterephthalate. A detailed study of the influence of the nitro group on the methanolytic degradation rate of the nitrated bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) nitroterephthalate (BHENT) model compound in comparison with the nonnitrated bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) model compound was carried out. The kinetics of the methanolysis of BHENT and BHET were evaluated with high‐performance liquid chromatography and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. BHENT appeared to be much more reactive than BHET. The methanolytic degradation of PET and PETNT copolyesters at 80 °C was followed by changes in the weight and viscosity, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The copolyesters degraded faster than PET, and the degradation increased with the content of nitrated units and occurred preferentially by cleavage of the ester groups placed at the meta position of the nitro group in the nitrated units. For both PET and PETNT copolyesters, an increase in crystallinity accompanied methanolysis. A surface degradation mechanism entailing solubilization of the fragmented polymer and consequent loss of mass was found to operate in the methanolysis of the copolyesters. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2276–2285, 2002     

Propagation in the two-step solution copolycondensation with p-xylyleneglycol and bisphenols with the TsCl/DMF/Py condensing agent

A two-stage solution copolycondensation of IPA/TPA (50/50), ineffective aliphatic p-xylyleneglycol (PXG), and effective bisphenols (BPs) using tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine condensing agent was studied by examining factors, such as, kinds of BPs, reaction temperature, and the order of addition of PXG and BPs. Better results were obtained by initial reaction of PXG followed by BPs at a lower temperature (80 °C). BPs, when reacted randomly with the preformed oligomers from PXG, gave better results. These results were discussed in terms of the reaction of the preformed oligomers with PXG or BPs by measuring the distributions of growing oligomers by GPC and of PXG or BPs in the copolymers by 1H NMR.     

Co‐poly(aryl ether sulfone)s containing phthalimidine moiety in the main chain

Several new co‐poly(arylene ether sulfone)s have been prepared by the reaction of 4,4′‐fluorodiphenyl sulfone (FDS) with different bisphenols namely 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol (BPA), 4,4′‐hexafluoroisopropylidenediphenol (6F‐BPA), and N‐phenyl‐3,3‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine(PA). The homo‐poly(arylene ether sulfone)s are named as 1a, 2a, and 3a. The copolymers namely 2b, 2c, 2d and 3b, 3c, 3d have been prepared, respectively, on reaction of FDS with BPA or 6F‐BPA using different molar ratios of PA such as 25, 50, and 75. The poly(aryl ether sulfone)s 1a containing PA unit in the main chain showed a very high glass transition temperature of 280°C and an outstanding thermal stability up to 510°C for 5% weight loss under synthetic air. Depending on the mole% of PA, the glass transition temperatures of the copolymers can be varied. The polymers were soluble in a wide range of organic solvents. Transparent thin films of these polymers exhibited tensile strengths upto 84 MPa and Young's modulus up to 3.16 GPa. The films of these polymers showed low water absorption of 0.24%. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An FTIR Study on the Solid-State Copolymerization of bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalate and Poly(butylene terephthalate) and the Resulting Copolymers

Summary: The first aim of this work was to study the solid-state copolymerization (SSP) of bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalate (BHET) with poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) by FTIR spectroscopy. The development of the chemical microstructure during the SSP-reaction was examined as a function of the BHET content, showing the different regimes. The thermal behaviour of the resulting copolymers with different BHET contents was also investigated during cooling using infra-red dynamic spectra. For low BHET-concentrations, only crystallization of PBT-sequences was observed, while for high BHET-concentrations, only crystallization of PET-sequences was detectable with a cross-over behaviour for intermediate concentrations.     

Two‐stage copolycondensation of preformed oligomers with bisphenols by tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine from distributions of resulting oligomers determined by a combination of gel permeation chromatography and NMR

A two‐stage co‐oligomerization of the oligomers initially formed from an equimolar mixture of isophthalic acid (IPA) and terephthalic acid (TPA) and 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)propane (BPA, 50 mol %) with bisphenols (BPs, 20 mol %) was carried out using a tosyl chloride/dimethylformamide/pyridine condensing agent. The distributions of the resulting oligomers (n_x‐mers), which were quenched with methanol, were determined by a combination of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and NMR. These distributions (presented by molar percentage) were conveniently calculated with the equation n_x (mol %) = n_x (% mol by GPC) × n₀ (mol % by NMR)/n₀ (% mol by GPC), where n_x (% mol) = n_x (wt % by GPC)/its molecular weight. The results showed the distributions of the preformed IPA/TPA‐BPA oligomers to be in fairly good accord with those obtained directly from GPC and to be supported by the NMR results. The calculation was applied to the co‐oligomers prepared up to a reaction of 0.7, at which there was an increase in the number of higher oligomers indivisible by GPC and the distributions could no longer be determined by molar percentage. The calculated distributions are discussed in relation to the results of copolycondensation. The sequence distributions in the resulting co‐oligomers, which were also examined by NMR, are compared with those in the copolymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 44–51, 2004     

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