Flame‐retardant epoxy resins from o‐cresol novolac epoxy cured with a phosphorus‐containing aralkyl novolac

A novel phosphorus‐containing aralkyl novolac (Ar‐DOPO‐N) was prepared from the reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) first with terephthaldicarboxaldehyde and subsequently with phenol. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H and ³¹P NMR, and elemental analysis. Ar‐DOPO‐N blended with phenol formaldehyde novolac was used as a curing agent for o‐cresol formaldehyde novolac epoxy, resulting in cured epoxy resins with various phosphorus contents. The epoxy resins exhibited high glass‐transition temperatures (159–177 °C), good thermal stability (>320 °C), and retardation on thermal degradation rates. High char yields and high limited oxygen indices (26–32.5) were observed, indicating the resins' good flame retardance. Using a melamine‐modified phenol formaldehyde novolac to replace phenol formaldehyde novolac in the curing composition further enhanced the cured epoxy resins' glass‐transition temperatures (160–186 °C) and limited oxygen index values (28–33.5). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2329–2339, 2002     

Polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes. V. Ionic polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes generated by thermal isomerization of corresponding benzocyclobutenes

The ionic polymerization of substituted o‐quinodimethanes via thermal isomerization of benzocyclobutenes is described. In the cationic polymerizations of 1‐methoxy‐o‐quinodimethane in the presence of various cationic initiators at 110 °C for 12 h, chain transfer reactions also considerably underwent besides the polymerization. Meanwhile, cationic polymerizations of 1‐trimethylsilyloxy‐o‐quinodimethane under the same conditions gave good yields of the corresponding polymer. Anionic polymerizations of 1‐cyano‐o‐quinodimethane in the presence of anionic initiators such as n‐BuLi or t‐BuOK were performed at various temperatures for 12 h. Good yields of hexane‐insoluble polymer, which was produced by anionic polymerization of corresponding o‐quinodimethane as an intermediate, were obtained above 120 °C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 844–850, 2008     

Synthesis of highly reactive polyisobutylene by selective polymerization with o‐cresol/AlCl3 initiating system

Highly reactive polyisobutylenes (HRPIBs) with very large proportion (up to 95 mol%) of exo‐double bond end groups and number average molecular weight (M_n) of 5400–8500 Dalton (Da) could be successfully synthesized by the selective cationic polymerization of isobutylene (IB) from the mixed C₄ fraction feed using o‐cresol/AlCl₃ as initiating system at ?20°C. A possible mechanism was proposed for the cationic polymerization process. The presence of large weakly coordinating counteranion in propagating species could lead to decreasing the possibility of the side transfer reactions via carbenium ion arrangements. This o‐cresol/AlCl₃ initiating system exhibited extremely high selectivity toward IB polymerization in the mixed C₄ fraction feed and a good property for rapid β‐proton abstraction from ? C H ₃ in the growing polyisobutylenes (PIBs) chain ends. High extent of α‐double bond end groups in HRPIBs prepared in the mixed C₄ fraction feed could be comparable to that in those commercially produced by cationic polymerization of IB in inert solvent (e.g. hexane). To our knowledge, this is the first example to achieve HRPIBs via completely selective polymerization of IB from C₄ mixed feed with AlCl₃‐based initiating system, providing a potentially practical process for its simplicity and low costs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of catalyst‐transfer condensation polymerization for the synthesis of n‐type π‐conjugated polymer,poly(2‐dioxaalkylpyridine‐3,6‐diyl)

Kumada‐Tamao coupling polymerization of 6‐bromo‐3‐chloromagnesio‐2‐(3‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)propyl)pyridine 1 with a Ni catalyst and Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling polymerization of boronic ester monomer 2 , which has the same substituted pyridine structure, with ^tBu₃PPd(o‐tolyl)Br were investigated for the synthesis of a well‐defined n‐type π‐conjugated polymer. We first carried out a model reaction of 2,5‐dibromopyridine with 0.5 equivalent of phenylmagnesium chloride in the presence of Ni(dppp)Cl₂ and then observed exclusive formation of 2,5‐diphenylpyridine, indicating that successive coupling reaction took place via intramolecular transfer of Ni(0) catalyst on the pyridine ring. Then, we examined the Kumada‐Tamao polymerization of 1 and found that it proceeded homogeneously to afford soluble, regioregular head‐to‐tail poly(pyridine‐2,5‐diyl), poly(3‐(2‐(2‐(methoxyethoxy)propyl)pyridine) (PMEPPy). However, the molecular weight distribution of the polymers obtained with several Ni and Pd catalysts was very broad, and the matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectra showed that the polymer had Br/Br and Br/H end groups, implying that the catalyst‐transfer polymerization is accompanied with disproportionation. Suzuki‐Miyaura polymerization of 2 with ^tBu₃PPd(o‐tolyl)Br also afforded PMEPPy with a broad molecular weight distribution, and the tolyl/tolyl‐ended polymer was a major product, again indicating the occurrence of disproportionation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Syntheses and properties of organosoluble polyimides based on 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐4, 7‐methanohexahydroindan

A series of organosoluble aromatic polyimides (PIs) was synthesized from 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan (3) and commercial available aromatic dianhydrides such as 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), 4,4′‐sulfonyl diphthalic anhydride (SDPA), or 2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropanic dianhydride (6FDA). PIs (III_c–f), which were synthesized by direct polymerization in m‐cresol, had inherent viscosities of 0.83–1.05 dL/g. These polymers could easily be dissolved in N,N′‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), pyridine, m‐cresol, and dichloromethane. Whereas copolymerization was proceeded with equivalent molar ratios of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)/6FDA, 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA)/6FDA, or BTDA/SDPA, or ½ for PMDA/SDPA, copolyimides (co‐PIs), derived from 3 and mixed dianhydrides, were soluble in NMP. All the soluble PIs could form transparent, flexible, and tough films, and they showed amorphous characteristics. These films had tensile strengths of 88–111 MPa, elongations at break of 5–10% and initial moduli of 2.01–2.67 GPa. The glass transition temperatures of these polymers were in the range of 252–311°C. Except for III_e, the 10% weight loss temperatures (T_d) of PIs were above 500°C, and the amount of carbonized residues of the PIs at 800°C in nitrogen atmosphere were above 50%. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1681–1691, 1999     

Atom transfer radical polymerization of 6‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2;3,4‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐D‐galactopyranose in solution

A detailed exploration of the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of a sugar‐carrying monomer, 6‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2;3,4‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐D‐galactopyranose (MAIPGal) was performed. The factors pertinent to ATRP, such as initiators, ligands, catalysts, and temperature were optimized to obtain good control over the polymerization. The kinetics were examined in detail when the polymerization was initiated by methyl 2‐bromoisopropionate (2‐MBP), ethyl 2‐bromoisobutyrate (2‐EBiB), or a macroinitiator, [α‐(2‐bromoisobutyrylate)‐ω‐methyl PEO] (PEO–Br), with bipyridine (bipy) as the ligand at 60 °C or by 2‐EiBB with N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as the ligand at room temperature (23 °C). The effects of the catalysts (CuBr and CuCl) were also investigated. We demonstrate that the successful ATRP of MAIPGal can be achieved for 2‐EBiB/CuBr/bipy and 2‐MBP/CuCl/bipy at 60 °C and for 2‐EBiB/CuBr/PMDETA at room temperature. The initiation by 2‐EBiB at room temperature with PMDETA as the ligand should be the most optimum operation for its moderate condition and suppression of many side reactions. Chain extension of P(MAIPGal) prepared by ATRP with methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the second monomer was carried out and a diblock copolymer, P(MAIPGal)‐b‐PMMA, was obtained. Functional polymers, poly(D‐galactose 6‐methacrylate) (PGMA), PEO‐b‐PGMA, and PGMA‐b‐PMMA were obtained after removal of the protecting groups. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 752–762, 2005     

Poly(ether imide)s derived from phthalazinone‐containing dianhydrides

An unsymmetrical and noncoplanar heterocyclic dianhydride was synthesized from a bisphenol‐like phthalazinone, 4‐(4‐hydroxylphenyl)‐2,3‐phthalazin‐1‐one, and a series of novel poly(ether imide)s based on it, with intrinsic viscosities of 0.67–1.42 dL/g, were obtained by one‐step solution polymerization in m‐cresol at 200 °C for 20 h. The polymers were readily soluble in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone and m‐cresol. The poly(ether imide)s derived from 4,4′‐oxydianiline and 4,4′‐methylenedianiline were also very soluble in chloroform, 1,1′,2,2′‐tetrachloroethane, and N,N‐dimethylacetamide. The glass‐transition temperatures were 289–326 °C, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. All the degradation temperatures for 5% weight loss occurred above 482 °C in nitrogen. The tensile strength of thin films of some of the polymers varied from 103.1 to 121.4 MPa. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6089–6097, 2004     

Syntheses and properties of organosoluble polyamides and polyimides based on the diamine 3,3‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)‐3‐methylphenyl]phthalide derived from o‐cresolphthalein

Diamine 3,3‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)‐3‐methylphenyl]phthalide (BAMP) was derived from the o‐cresolphthalein, and then it was polycondensated with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids and dianhydrides to synthesize polyamides (PAs) and polyimides (PIs), respectively. PAs have inherent viscosities of 0.78–2.24 dL/g. Most of the PAs are readily soluble in a variety of solvents such as DMF, DMAc, and NMP and afforded transparent and tough films from DMAc solutions. The cast films have tensile strengths of 75–113 MPa as well as initial moduli of 1.71–2.97 GPa. These PAs have glass transition temperatures (T_gs) in the range of 242–325°C, 10% weight loss temperatures occur up to 473°C, and char yields are between 57 and 64% at 800°C in nitrogen. PIs were first synthesized to form polyamic acids (PAAs) by a two‐stage procedure that included a ring‐opening reaction, followed by thermal or chemical conversion to polyimides. Inherent viscosities of PAAs are between 0.71 and 1.63 dL/g. Most of the PIs obtained through the chemical cyclodehydration procedure are soluble in NMP, o‐chlorophenol, m‐cresol, etc., and they have inherent viscosities of 0.58–1.32 dL/g. T_gs of these PIs are in the range of 270–305°C and show 10% weight loss temperatures up to 477°C. PIs obtained through the thermal cyclodehydration procedure have tensile strengths of 72–142 MPa, elongations at break of 8–19%, and initial moduli of 1.80–2.72 GPa. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 455–464, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of new aromatic poly‐(ether benzoxazole)s from 2,2′‐bis(4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenoxy)biphenyl and aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides

A new bis(o‐aminophenol) with a crank and twisted noncoplanar structure and ether linkages, 2,2′‐bis(4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenoxy)biphenyl, was synthesized by the reaction of 2‐benzyloxy‐4‐fluoronitrobenzene with biphenyl‐2,2′‐diol, followed by reduction. Biphenyl‐2,2′‐diyl‐containing aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s with inherent viscosities of 0.52–1.01 dL/g were obtained by a conventional two‐step procedure involving the polycondensation of the bis(o‐aminophenol) monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides, yielding precursor poly(ether o‐hydroxyamide)s, and subsequent thermal cyclodehydration. These new aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s were soluble in methanesulfonic acid, and some of them dissolved in m‐cresol. The aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s had glass‐transition temperatures of 190–251 °C and were stable up to 380 °C in nitrogen, with 10% weight losses being recorded above 520 °C. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2656–2662, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble cardo polyesters derived from 1,1‐bis‐[4‐(4‐chlorocarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐tert‐butylcyclohexane with various bisphenols by solution polycondensation

A new cardo diacid chloride, 1,1‐bis‐[4‐(4‐chlorocarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐tert‐butylcyclohexane ( 4 ), was synthesized from 1,1‐bis‐[4‐(4‐carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐tert‐butylcyclohexane in refluxing thionyl chloride. Subsequently, various new polyesters were prepared from 4 with various bisphenols by solution polycondensation in nitrobenzene using pyridine as a hydrogen chloride quencher at 150 °C. These polyesters were produced with inherent viscosities of 0.32–0.50 dL · g^?1. Most of these polyesters exhibited excellent solubility in a variety of solvents such as N,N‐dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, tetrachloroethane, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, m‐cresol, o‐chlorophenol, and chloroform. These polymers showed glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) between 144 and 197 °C. The polymer containing the adamantane group exhibited the highest T_g value. The 10% weight loss temperatures of the polyesters, measured by thermogravimetric analysis, were found to be in the range of 426–451 °C in nitrogen. These cardo polyesters exhibited higher T_g's and better solubility than bisphenol A‐based polyesters. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2951–2956, 2001     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides derived from 9,10‐dialkyloxy‐1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8‐octahydro‐2,3,6,7‐anthracenetetracarboxylic 2,3:6,7‐dianhydrides

A series of new polyimides containing alicyclic units and alkyloxy side chains were prepared from 9,10‐dialkyloxy‐1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8‐octahydro‐2,3,6,7‐anthracenetetracarboxylic 2,3:6,7‐dianhydrides and various aromatic diamines. Their physical properties and structures were investigated. Polymers were obtained with inherent viscosities of 0.24–0.53 dL/g. In comparison with the aromatic polyimides, most polymers were readily soluble in common organic solvent such as N‐methylpyrrolidone and m‐cresol. These polymers had glass‐transition temperatures between 111 and 296 °C depending on the structure of the repeating unit and 10% weight‐loss temperatures of 418–477 °C in nitrogen. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometry for as‐polymerized samples revealed very low crystallinity and layered structures, which were better developed in the polymers with longer side chains. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1764–1774, 2002     

Novel heterocyclic poly(arylene ether ketone)s: Synthesis and polymerization of 4‐(4′‐hydroxyaryl)(2H)phthalazin‐1‐ones with methyl groups

Based on green chemistry, a simple and efficient direct synthesis of 4‐(4′‐hydroxyaryl)(2H)phthalazin‐1‐ones ( 2a–2f ) was developed in a two‐step reaction, in which the Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction of six phenols with phthalic anhydride was initially carried out and then followed by cyclization with hydrazine hydrate in good to excellent yields with high regioselectivity. A number of novel heterocyclic poly(arylene ether ketone)s were prepared conveniently from several unsymmetrical, twist, and noncoplanar phthalazinone‐containing monomers ( 2a–2f ) and an activated difluoro monomer via a N? C coupling reaction. It was very interesting that the obtained monomers and polymers exhibited diverse properties with the variation of the number and location of the substituted methyl groups. All these polymers had a high molecular weight with M_n and η_inh in the range of 44,960–169,000 Da and 0.38–0.79 dL/g, respectively. Actually, the obtained polymers displayed excellent thermal properties with T_g's ranging from 222 to 248 °C and 5% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen higher than 430 °C. Moreover, these polymers were readily soluble in common organic solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, chloroform, pyridine, and m‐cresol, and could be cast into flexible and colorless or nearly colorless films by spin‐coating or casting processes. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1525–1535, 2007     

Polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes. IV. Radical polymerization of 1‐cyano‐o‐quinodimethane in the presence of TEMPO

The radical polymerization behavior of 1‐cyano‐o‐quinodimethane generated by thermal isomerization of 1‐cyanobenzocyclobutene in the presence of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐N‐oxide (TEMPO) and the block copolymerization of the obtained polymer with styrene are described. The radical polymerization of 1‐cyanobenzocyclobutene was carried out in a sealed tube at temperatures ranging from 100 to 150 °C for 24 h in the presence of di‐tert‐butyl peroxide (DTBP) as a radical initiator and two equivalents of TEMPO as a trapping agent of the propagation end radical to obtain hexane‐insoluble polymer above 130 °C. Polymerization at 150 °C with 5 mol % of DTBP in the presence of TEMPO resulted in the polymer having a number‐average molecular weight (M_n ) of 2900 in 63% yield. The structure of the obtained polymer was confirmed as the ring‐opened polymer having a TEMPO unit at the terminal end by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and IR analyses. Then, block copolymerization of the obtained polymer with styrene was carried out at 140 °C for 72 h to give the corresponding block copolymer in 82% yield, in which the unimodal GPC curve was shifted to a higher molecular weight region. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3434–3439, 2000     

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of N,N‐Dimethylacrylamide

Summary: The living polymerization of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide was achieved by atom transfer radical polymerization catalyzed by copper chloride complexed with a new ligand, N,N′‐bis(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl 3‐hexoxo‐3‐oxopropyl)ethane‐1,2‐diamine (BPED). With methyl 2‐chloropropionate as the initiator, the polymerization reached high conversions (> 90%) at 80 °C and 100 °C, producing polymers with very close to theoretical values and low polydispersity. The ligand, temperature, and copper halide strongly affected the activity and control of the polymerization.

PDMA molecular weight and polydispersity dependence on the DMA conversion in the DMA bulk polymerizations at different temperatures: DMA/CuCl/MCP/BPED = 100/1/1/1, 100 °C (♦, ⋄); 80 °C (▴, ▵); 60 °C (▪, □); and DMA/CuCl/MCP/BPED = 100/1/1/2, 80 °C (•, ○).     

Mitigating chain‐transfer and enhancing the thermal stability of co‐based olefin polymerization catalysts through sterically demanding ligands

Sterically demanding Fe‐ and Co‐based olefin polymerization catalysts 2‐Fe and 2‐Co bearing 2,6‐bis(biphenylmethyl)‐4‐methylaniline substituted bis(imino)pyridine ligands were synthesized and evaluated for ethylene polymerization. The late‐transition metal complexes were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, NMR spectroscopy, and HRMS, while their resultant polymers were characterized by size‐exclusion chromatography and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. While catalyst 2‐Fe was inactive, catalyst 2‐Co was found to polymerize ethylene and avoid any detectable chain‐transfer to aluminum events that are known to plague other Fe‐ and Co‐based catalyst systems and to limit molecular weight. Furthermore, 2‐Co displays virtually perfect thermal stability up to 80 °C and shows greatly enhanced thermal stability at 90 °C as compared to previously reported analogues. These observations are attributed to the extreme steric demand imposed by the ligand which mitigates catalyst transfer, deactivation, and decomposition reactions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3990–3995     

Salicylaldiminato nickel(II) catalysts with 5‐halo‐3‐methoxy groups for ethylene polymerization

Two neutral salicylaldiminato methyl pyridine nickel(II) complexes were synthesized and evaluated for ethylene polymerization. Each catalyst bears a methoxy group in the 3‐position and a halogen atom in the 5‐position of the salicyl ligand, chlorine in case of catalyst 3a and bromine in 3b . Molecular structures of the catalysts were obtained by X‐ray crystallography. The resulting polymerization activities, for example, indicated by a maximum turnover frequency of 4,870 mol ethylene/(mol Ni × h) for 1‐h runs obtained with 3a , were higher than those of similar catalysts at comparable conditions reported in the literature. Catalyst 3a was slightly more active than catalyst 3b . The polymers are branched as measured by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. This was also reflected in the melting temperatures between 76 and 113 °C obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. By using gel permeation chromatography measurements, it was determined that the M_w of the polymers ranges between about 5,400 and 21,600 g/mol. In particular, the effect of the polymerization temperature on the catalyst activity, degree of branching, and molecular weight properties has been described. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble polyamides from 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐tert‐butylcyclohexane and various diamines

A new dicarboxylic acid monomer, 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐tert‐butylcyclohexane, bearing a pendent tert‐butylcyclohexylidene group was prepared in three steps from 4‐tert‐butylcyclohexanone. The monomer was reacted with various diamines to produce a series of new polyamides with triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. These polyamides were produced with inherent viscosities of 0.74 to 1.02 dL g⁻¹. All the polymers were characterized by X‐ray diffraction that revealed this amorphous nature. These polymers exhibited excellent solubility in a variety of solvents. Almost all the polymers could be dissolved in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N‐dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, pyridine, and even in tetrahydrofuran and cyclohexanone. These polymers showed glass‐transition temperatures between 223 and 256 °C and decomposition temperatures at 10% weight loss ranging from 468 to 491 °C and 469 to 498 °C in nitrogen and air atmospheres, respectively. Transparent, tough, and flexible films of these polymers were cast from the DMAc solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths ranging from 76 to 99 MPa, elongations at break from 7 to 19%, and initial moduli from 2.1 to 2.7 GPa. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 797–803, 2000     

Are o‐nitrobenzyl (meth)acrylate monomers polymerizable by controlled‐radical polymerization?

We report on the controlled‐radical polymerization of the photocleavable o‐nitrobenzyl methacrylate (NBMA) and o‐nitrobenzyl acrylate (NBA) monomers. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT), and nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) have been evaluated. For all methods used, the acrylate‐type monomer does not polymerize, or polymerizes very slowly in a noncontrolled manner. The methacrylate‐type monomer can be polymerized by RAFT with some degree of control (PDI ∼ 1.5) but leading to molar masses up to 11,000 g/mol only. ATRP proved to be the best method since a controlled‐polymerization was achieved when conversions are limited to 30%. In this case, polymers with molar masses up to 17,000 g/mol and polydispersity index as low as 1.13 have been obtained. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6504–6513, 2009     

Polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes. III. Polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes bearing electron‐withdrawing groups formed in situ by thermal ring‐opening isomerization of corresponding benzocyclobutenes

The substituent effect on the radical polymerization of o‐quinodimethanes, generated by thermal isomerization of benzocyclobutenes, was investigated. Polymerizations of three benzocyclobutenes bearing electron‐withdrawing groups were studied, namely 1‐cyanobenzocyclobutene (1), 1‐chlorobenzocyclobutene (2), and 1‐bromobenzocyclobutene (3). While radical polymerizations of 2 and 3 did not afford any polymer, radical polymerization of 1 afforded n‐hexane‐insoluble polymer(M_n = 5000) in moderate yields at temperatures above 120°C. The structure of the obtained polymer was confirmed to be a ring‐opened polymer(4) by IR, ¹H‐, and ¹³C‐NMR. The yield of the polymer increased with an increase in the initiator concentration. The polymer yield reported in this paper is higher than those of benzocyclobutenes bearing electron‐donating groups, reported previously by the authors. The semi‐empirical molecular orbital calculation supported the contribution of ring‐opening polymerization of spiro‐compounds, rejecting the possibility of 1,4‐polymerization. Lastly, radical copolymerizations of 1 with various comonomers were also performed to obtain the corresponding copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1555–1563, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble poly(amide‐imide)s derived from 2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐trimellitimidophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane

A series of new soluble poly(amide‐imide)s were prepared from the diimide‐dicarboxylic acid 2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐trimellitimidophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane with various diamines by direct polycondensation in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone containing CaCl₂ with triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. All the polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.52–0.86 dL · g^?1. The poly(amide‐imide)s showed an amorphous nature and were readily soluble in various solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N‐dimethylformamide, pyridine, and cyclohexanone. Tough and flexible films were obtained through casting from DMAc solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths of 71–107 MPa and a tensile modulus range of 1.6–2.7 GPa. The glass‐transition temperatures of the polymers were determined by a differential scanning calorimetry method, and they ranged from 242 to 279 °C. These polymers were fairly stable up to a temperature around or above 400 °C, and they lost 10% of their weight from 480 to 536 °C and 486 to 537 °C in nitrogen and air, respectively. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3498–3504, 2001