SYNTHESES AND CHARACTERIZATIONS OF HYPERBRANCHED POLYPHENYLENES

 New hyperbranched polyphenylenes with high molecular weights are synthesized by the copolycyclotrimerizations of 1,4-diethynylbenzene (I) with phenylacetylene (A), 1-octyne (B), and 1-dodecyne (C) catalyzed by TaCl₅-Ph₄Sn. The polymers are completely soluble in common solvents such as toluene, THF, chloroform, and dichloromethane. The polymers are characterized by spectroscopic methods and all of the polymers give satisfactory analysis data corresponding to their expected molecular structures.     

A new simple synthesis of soluble high molecular weight polyphenylenes by the cotrimerization of mono- and bifunctional terminal acetylenes

The monofunctional acetylenes, phenylacetylene and m-ethynyltoluene, were each copolymerized with diethynylbenzene in a 1:1 mole ratio by using TiCl₄/3AlEt₂Cl as cyclotrimerization catalyst. The aromatic polymers which were produced were polydisperse with a molecular weight of ～10,000. Variation of catalyst concentration had no effect on the molecular weight profile. An excess of bifunctional acetylene produced some insoluble gel but when some of the monofunctional acetylene was withheld and added only after an initial molecular weight build-up by the excess bifunctional acetylene, soluble polymers with molecular weights of approximately 50,000 were obtained in high yield, provided the overall ratio of mono- to bifunctional acetylene was maintained at 1:1. The resulting polyphenylenes were highly soluble in benzene and chlorinated solvents but gave brittle films. This was attributed to a highly branched structure resulting from a lack of specificity by the catalyst. Thermogravimetric analysis showed the polymers to have high thermal stability.     

Microporous polymers based on triacetylarenes

Three-dimensional polymers are synthesized by polycondensation of triacetylarenes with the formation of 1,3,5-phentriyl and dimeric diphenylpropenone fragments. Microporous polyphenylenes with an intrinsic surface area of 650–690 m² g^–1 were obtained by additional heating at 450 °C. The values of the intrinsic surface area of polyphenylenes with rigid-chain rod-shaped inter-nodal fragments significantly exceed those of polyphenylenes with a flexible-chain inter-nodal fragments.     

Anionic graft polymerization of ethylene oxide on starch. II. Structure of the graft polymers

Starch–poly(ethylene oxide) graft polymers were prepared in DMSO at various monomer and starch alkoxide concentrations. Complimentary and varied information on the structure of the graft polymers was obtained from NMR and periodic acid oxidation of the polymers. From the NMR spectra of the graft polymers in pyridine containing a trace of HCl, which causes shifting of the resonance of the internal ? CH₂O? protons from the terminal ? CH₂OH protons, the polyethylene oxide content, the DP _n of the grafted side chains, and the efficiency of the alkoxides were calculated. With increase of the alkoxide concentration there was a small decrease in ? DP _n, and in the efficiency of the alkoxides in initiating graft polymerization. With increase of monomer concentration, there was only a small increase in ? DP _n but a large increase in the efficiency, indicating the existence of transfer reactions between the growing anions and the free hydroxyl groups on the starch. The results of he periodic acid oxidation showed that with increase of alkoxide concentration there was no significant change in the per cent oxidation of the graft polymers, but with increase of monomer, there was an increase in the participation of the secondary hydroxyl groups in initiation. This supports the NMR evidence for the existence of transfer reactions leading to ? DP _n values much lower than those calculated from [monomer]/[catalyst] ratios.     

Electro‐optical behavior of ferroelectric liquid crystalline polyphenylene derivatives

Liquid crystalline (LC) polyphenylene derivatives, such as poly(para‐phenylene) (PPP), poly(meta‐phenylene) (PMP), poly(meta‐biphenylene) (PBP), and poly (meta‐terphenylene) (PTP) derivatives, were synthesized through substitution of fluorine‐containing chiral LC groups into side chains, with an aim to develop ferroelectric LC (FLC) conjugated polymers. All the polymers, except PTP, showed enantiotropic liquid crystallinities, where several types of mesophases were observed in both heating and cooling processes. Among them, PPP and PMP derivatives showed chiral smectic C (S_C*) phases responsible for ferroelectricity. In fact, they exhibited quick response to electric field, in spite of high viscosities inherent to polymers, giving rise to switching times of less than 1 s between two S_C states with reversely directed alignment. Hysteresis loops between the polarization and electric field were also observed for PPP and PMP. The spontaneous polarization (P_S) of PMP remained unchanged even after the electric field became zero, affording the residual polarization (P_R) whose value was the same as that of P_S. This indicates that PMP has a prospective memory function based on FLC nature. The present study is the first report for realizing a quick switching in macroscopic alignment using electric field and also for generating a potential memory function in π‐conjugated polymers. It is elucidated that unusual polymer main chains such as polyphenylenes can be used to prepare new ferroelectric polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3591–3610, 2008     

Structural effects in heteroatom systems. II. The calculated influence of steric effects on polymerization–depolymerization equilibria in the siloxane and oxymethylene series. Comparisons with the phosphazene system.

The relative stabilities of symmetrically substituted polysiloxanes and polyoxymethylenes are compared in terms of the side-group steric overlap parameters, by means of a semiempirical method described previously. The results provide a qualitative estimate of the relative thermodynamic ease of polymerization of cyclic siloxanes or monomeric methylene oxides or, conversely, of the relative resistance to depolymerization of the polymers. These calculated values are compared with those reported previously for phosphazenes. In general, for polymers of the type, [R₂Si? O]_n, [R₂C? O]_n, and [R₂P?N]_n, if the side group, R, is small (H, halogen or methyl) the inherent steric and bonding characteristics of the chain should cause the polymer stabilities to decrease in the order phosphazenes ≈ siloxanes ? oxymethylenes. If, however, bulkier side groups are present, the order of decreasing stability to depolymerization should be siloxanes > phosphazenes ? oxymethylenes. In all cases, the depolymerization tendency should increase markedly as the side group overlap parameters increase, and polyoxymethylenes should be the most sensitive to such changes. The calculated results are compared with the limited experimental evidence at present available.     

Radiation effects on silicon-containing polyacetylenes

Si-containing mono- and disubstituted polyacetylenes(? [CMe?C(SiMe₃)] _n? , ? [CH?H(n? C₅H₁₁)SiMe₃]_n? , etc.) underwent degradation in air; many of them exhibited relatively high yields of main-chain scission (G_s > 1). The G_s values for the polymers having a long n-alkyl group were usually large (ca. 2). In contrast, no polymer degradation occurred in vacuum, indicating that oxygen is necessary for the radiolysis. The polymers irradiated in air contained C?O and Si? O groups, and dissolved in polar solvents, which are nonsolvents of the starting polymers. From the radiation sensitivity and thermal degradability of these polymers, it is concluded that disubstituted polymers with high Si contents (? [CMe?C(SiMe₃)]_n? , ? [CMe?C(SiMe₂CH₂SiMe₃)]_n? , etc.) are not only radiation-sensitive but also thermally stable.     

A new class of aromatic polyetheraroylhydrazides. I. Synthesis and chemical–physical characterization

A series of new aromatic polyetheraroylhydrazides incorporating 4-oxybenzoyl units has been synthesized, whose general formula was [CONHNHCO? O? O–(CH₂)_x? O? phenyl O-CONHNHCOO]_n with x values in the range of 2 to 12. The increasing number of methylene units in the backbone gave rise to polymers which melted before the hydrazidic linkage underwent thermal cyclation to oxadiazole. Moreover, many polymers showed multiple endotherms on melting. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed a crystalline organization of polyhydrazides for methylene units above 4. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Selective vinyl cationic polymerization of monomers with two cationically polymerizable groups. II. p-vinylphenyl glycidyl ether: An epoxy-functionalized styrene

p-Vinylphenyl glycidyl ether (VPGE), a styrene derivative with an epoxy pendant, was polymerized by various cationic initiators, and its selective vinyl polymerization was investigated at low temperatures below ?15°C. BF₃OEt₂ (a metal halide) and CF₃SO₃H (a strong protonic acid) polymerized both vinyl and epoxy groups of VPGE, and produced cross-linked insoluble polymers. The HI/I₂ initiating system and iodine, in contrast, polymerized its vinyl group in polar solvents (CH₂Cl₂ and nitroethane) highly selectively in the temperature range of ?15 to ?40°C to give soluble polymers with a polystyrene backbone and epoxy pendants; however, under these conditions, 10–15% of the epoxy groups of the polymers were consumed during the polymerization by the reaction with the growing species. The polymerization by HI/I₂ in CH₂CI₂ involved a long-lived propagating species, as indicated by a progressive increase in the molecular weight (M?_n) of the polymers with monomer conversion and their fairly narrow molecular weight distributions (M?_w/M?_n ～ 1.6). The differences between the polymerizations of VPGE and p-isopropenylphenyl glycidyl ether, an α-methylstyrene-type counterpart of VPGE, were also discussed with an emphasis on the effects of the α-methyl group in the latter monomer.     

Silole-containing linear and hyperbranched polymers: synthesis,thermal stability,light emission,nano-dimensional aggregation,and optical power limiting

Linear polyacetylenes and hyperbranched polyphenylenes carrying 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylsilolyl (PS) pendants are designed and synthesized. Homo-polymerization of HC≡CPS, HC≡C(CH₂)₉OPS, and C₆H₅C≡C(CH₂)₉OPS and (co)polycyclotrimerization of (HC≡C)₂PS with 1-octyne are effected by NbCl₅-, WCl₆-, MoCl₅-, and TaCl₅-based catalysts. High molecular weight linear ( 1-3 ) and hyperbranched polymers (6) are obtained in high yields (M_w up to ∼70 × 10³ and yield up to 85%). All the polymers are thermally stable, losing little weight when heated to 350°C. Whereas all the polymers emit faint light when molecularly dissolved, polymers 2 , 3 , and 6 become emissive when aggregated in poor solvents or when cooled to low temperatures. Restricted intramolecular rotations of the phenyl rings upon the axes of the single bonds linked to the silole cores may be responsible for the aggregation- or cooling-induced emission. A multilayer electroluminescent device using 3 as an active layer emits a blue light of 496 nm with maximum brightness, current efficiency, and external quantum yield of 1118 cd/m², 1.45 cd/A, and 0.55%, respectively. Polymers 6 are non-linear optically active and strongly attenuate the optical power of intense laser pulses, whose optical limiting performances are superior to that of C₆₀, a best-known optical limiter.     

Polyanhydrides. IV. Unsaturated and crosslinked polyanhydrides

Unsaturated polyanhydrides of the structure ? [? (? CO? CH?CH? COO? )_x? (? CO? R? COO? )_y? ]_n? , were synthesized. The polymers were prepared by either melt or solution polycondensation. Weight average molecular weights of up to 30,000 were obtained. The double bonds remain intact throughout the polymerization process and were available for a secondary reaction to form a crosslinked matrix. Poly(fumaric acid) is crystalline and insoluble in common organic solvents. Copolymers of fumaric acid with aliphatic diacids are less crystalline and soluble in chlorinated hydrocarbons. These copolymers displayed nearly constant degradation rates and drug release rates under physiological conditions. The time for complete degradation of 14 × 1.5 mm discs of poly(fumaric anhydride) and poly(sebacic anhydride) occurred in 2 and 15 days, respectively, while their copolymers degraded within this range. Further crosslinking of the polyanhydrids is demonstrated.     

End-Functionalized polymers by living cationic polymerization. IV. Poly(vinyl ethers) with acidic or basic terminal groups by functional initiator method

Carboxylic acid or primary amine-terminated poly(isobutyl vinyl ethers) were synthesized by living cationic polymerizations with functionalized initiators (CH₃CHIO? CH₂CH₂ ? X; X: that are the adducts of the corresponding vinyl ethers (CH₂ ? CH ? OCH₂CH₂? X) with hydrogen iodide. In the presence of iodine, these initiators induced living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether to give polymers with the α-end group of X originating from the initiators. The polymer molecular weights were regulated by the monomer to initiator feed ratio and the molecular weight distributions were very narrow (M _w/M _n ≤ 1.15). Subsequent deprotection of the terminal group X led to polymers with a terminal carboxylic acid or primary amine. ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR analyses showed that the end functionalities of these polymers were all close to unity.     

Living cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers with a functional group. VII. Polymerization of vinyl ethers with a silyloxyl group and synthesis of polyalcohols and related functional polymers

Living cationic polymerizations of two silicon-containing vinyl ethers, 2-(t-butyldimethyl-silyloxyl)ethyl vinyl ether (tBuSiVE) and 2-(trimethylsilyloxyl)ethyl vinyl ether (MeSiVE), have been achieved with use of the hydrogen iodide/iodine (HI/I₂) initiating system in toluene at ?15 or ?40°C, despite the existence of the acid-sensitive silyloxyl pendants. The living nature of the polymerizations was demonstrated by linear increases in the number-average molecular weights (M?_n) of the polymers in direct proportion to monomer conversion and by their further rise upon addition of a second monomer feed to a completely polymerized reaction mixture. The polymers obtained in these experiments all exhibited very narrow molecular weight distributions (MWD) with M?_w/M?_n around or below 1.1. Desilylation of the polymers under mild conditions (with H⁺ for MeSiVE and F^? for tBuSiVE) gave poly(2-hydroxyethyl vinyl ether), a water-soluble polyalcohol with a narrow MWD. The living processes also permitted clean syntheses of amphiphilic AB block copolymers and water-soluble methacrylate-type macromonomers, all of which bear narrowly distributed segments of the polyalcohol derived from the silicon-containing vinyl ethers.     

15N-NMR spectroscopy. III. Neighboring residue effects in sequence polymers containing glycylglycine units

The tripeptides Phe-Gly-Gly, β-Ala-Gly-Gly, and ?-Aca-Gly-Gly as well as the peptide derivatives δ-isothiocyanatovaleroyl-Gly-Gly and ?-isothiocyanatocaproyl-Gly-Gly were synthesized by using known methods so that the peptide nitrogen between the two glycyl residues was isotopically enriched in ¹⁵N to a level of 0.8–0.9%. These monomer units were then used to produce the sequence polymers (Phe-Gly-Gly)_n, (β-Ala-Gly-Gly)_n, (δ-Ava-Gly-Gly)_n, and (?-Aca-Gly-Gly)_n. The 18.24 MHz ¹⁵N-NMR spectra of the oligo- and polypeptides were obtained by using trifluoroacetic acid as solvent, since the solutions have relatively low viscosity and exhibit a strong negative nuclear Overhauser enhancement of the ¹⁵N signals. For comparison, ¹⁵N-NMR spectra of the homopolymers (Gly)_n, (β-Ala)_n, (γ-Abu)_n, (δ-Ava)_n, and (?-Aca)_n were also recorded. The ¹⁵N signals from the ω-aminoacyl residues in the sequence polymers appear up to 11 ppm upfield of the signals observed for the homopolyamides. The ¹⁵N signals from the two glycyl residues are separated by 3–7 ppm. Comparison with the ¹³C-NMR spectra of the same polymers indicates that ¹⁵N-NMR is better suited for the characterization and sequence analysis of these types of polymers.     

New proton-conducting phenyl-substituted polyphenylenes with phosphonate groups in side chain

A new method for the synthesis of polyphenylenes with phenylphosphonate side groups was developed. The method is based on transformations of p-bromophenyl-substituted polyphenylenes via the substitution of the diethyl phosphonate group for bromine in the presence of a palladium catalyst and the hydrolysis of this group giving polymers with free phosphonic acid groups.     

Structure and reactivity in cationic polymerization of butadiene derivatives. IV. 1-alkoxybutadienes

The reactivity of trans-1-alkoxybutadienes in cationic homopolymerization and copolymerizations and structure of the polymers produced were investigated. 1-Ethoxybutadiene is polymerized easily at ?78°C by various acidic catalysis. The reactivity of 1-ethoxybutadiene was similar to that of ethyl vinyl ether. The polymers produced possessed molecular weights of several thousands, and were composed of 70–95% 1,4 structure and 5–30% 3,4 structure. In the copolymerization of ethyl vinyl ether (M₁) with 1-ethoxybutadiene at ?78°C in toluene by boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, r₁ = 1.15, r₂ = 2.62. From the Hammett plot of the relative reactivities of alkoxybutadienes (alkoxy: CH₃O, C₂H₅O, i-C₃H₇O), the reaction constant _p^* was determined to be ?2.9. Results of the present study were compared with those of various butadiene derivatives.     

Multifunctional coupling agents for living cationic polymerization. I. Sodiomalonate anions for vinyl ethers

A series of multifunctional malonate anions, [Na^⊕?C(COOEt)₂CH₂]_mC₆H_6?m(I; m = 2–4), were examined as polymer coupling agents for the living cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers initiated with the hydrogen iodide/zinc iodide (HI/ZnI₂) initiating system. The bifunctional anion ( 2 ;I, m = 2), 1,4-[Na^⊕?C(COOEt)₂CH₂]₂C₆H₄, terminated living polymers of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) (DP _n = 10) almost quantitatively in toluene at ?15°C to give coupled living polymers with doubled molecular weights in 96% yield; the dianion 2 was dissolved in tetrahydrofuran containing 18-crown-6 for maintaining the solution homogeneous. The yield of the coupled polymers was increased with shorter living chains or in less polar solvents. Also by coupling via 2 , ABA block copolymers were obtained from living AB block polymers of IBVE and an ester-functionalized vinyl ether (CH₂?CHOCH₂CH₂OCOCH₃). Coupling of living poly(IBVE) with the trifunctional anion ( 3 ; I, m = 3) led to tri-armed polymers in 56% yield, whereas with the tetrafunctional version ( 4 ; I, m = 4), only three out of the four anions reacted to give another tri-armed polymer in 85% yield. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stereochemistry in cationic polymerization of alkenyl ethers. II. Formation of poly(ß-substituted vinyl ether)s with erythro-meso structures

The formation of polymers with erythro-meso structures, which could not be obtained from propenyl ethers with BF₃O(C₂H₅)₂, was studied by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy on poly(ß-substituted vinyl ether)s obtained under a variety of conditions of polymerization. It was established that poly(cis-ethyl propenyl ether) obtained with Al₂(SO₄)₃–H₂SO₄ complex in toluene at 0°C was a highly stereoregular polymer with an erythro-meso structure. Cis-2-chlorovinyl ethyl ether and cis-methyl and ethyl butenyl ethers also yielded polymers with erythro-meso structures under the same conditions. In addition, with BF₃O(C₂H₅)₂ at ?78°C these three cis isomers produced amorphous polymers with threo-meso, racemic, and, in a few cases, erythro-meso structures, whereas cis-ethyl propenyl ether produced polymers with only threo-meso and racemic structures by the same catalyst. On the other hand, all trans isomers produced stereoregular polymers with threo-meso structures with BF₃O(C₂H₅)₂ at ?78°C, regardless of their ß-substituents; no erythro-meso structures were found in the polymers obtained.     

Nitro- and fluoropolyformals. II. Novel polyformals from α, ω-fluoro- and nitrodiols

The scope of polyformal formation from nitro- and fluorodiols has been explored further with a series of α, ω-diols. Polymers with M?_ns of 2000–4000 were generally obtained but M?_ns approaching 10,000 are possible in some cases. Effects of monomer structure and reaction parameters on polymer molecular weight are described. The polymers were characterized by GPC, ¹H-NMR, and DSC analysis.     

Fluorinated phenylated polyphenylenes with nanoporous structures and ultralow dielectric constants formed in supercritical carbon dioxide

New fluorinated bis(tetraarylcyclopentadienones) are synthesized, and their compositions and structures are investigated by elemental analysis and IR, Raman, ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The fluorinated bis(tetraarylcyclopentadienones) are used to prepare a number of new fluorinated phenylated polyphenylenes that combine high thermal and mechanical characteristics and low dielectric constants (2.54?C2.74) with solubility in organic solvents. With the use of supercritical carbon dioxide, thermally stable nanoporous materials with ultralow dielectric constants (1.58?C1.97) are designed on the basis of phenylated polyphenylenes. For phenylated polyphenylenes, the described approach to the synthesis of nanoporous structures with the use of supercritical carbon dioxide is developed for the first time. This approach provides the basis for creation of new breakout technologies in the field of microelectronics.