Crosslinking of polyaromatic ether-ketones with biphenylene derivatives

Polyaromatic ether-ketones prepared from isophthaloyl dichloride, diphenyl ether, and various amounts of biphenylene and its derivative, were compressed to films under various conditions, and their crosslinking behaviors were studied. Although strong and flexible films could be obtained from low melting crosslinkable polymers, the low molecular weight polymers, which melt below 300°C, decompose at the biphenylene ring opening temperature of over 290°C, giving films full of gas bubbles. The addition of metal complexes to decrease the biphenylene ring opening temperature did not improve the film quality, although gas bubbles could be avoided. The strong and flexible films were amorphous, and the brittle films were mixtures of crystalline and amorphous polymers.     

Polymers containing 12-hydroxymethyltetrahydroabietanol

12-Hydroxymethyltetrahydroabietanol has been polymerized with hexamethylene diisocyanate and a low molecular weight polyurethane produced. Low molecular weight polyurethanes have also been prepared from 12-hydroxymethyltetrahydroabietyl chloroformate, hexamethylenediamine, and sym.-dimethylethylenediamine. 12-Hydroxymethyltetrahydroabietanol has been “end-capped” with tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate and hexamethylene diisocyanate. The resulting diisocyanates have been polymerized with polytetramethylene glycol, hexamethylenediamine and hydrazine.     

Chemistry and properties of cycloheptatetraene in the inner phase of a hemicarcerand

Low-temperature photolysis of phenyldiazirine, incarcerated inside a hemicarcerand which is built from two cavitands connected by four butane-1,4-dioxy linker groups, yields transient phenylcarbene; this carbene then undergoes ring photochemical expansion to cycloheptatetraene in low yield. Competitively, the transiently formed phenylcarbene reacts with the surrounding hemicarcerand. The yield of the photochemical ring expansion was increased when the photolysis was carried out inside a partially deuterated hemicarcerand. Two insertion products resulting from an intramolecular phenylcarbene insertion into an acetal C-H(D) bond or an alpha-C-H bond of a butane-1,4-dioxy linker group have been isolated and characterized. The measured isotope effect for insertion into an acetal C-H(D) bond at 15.5 K is consistent with a reaction of singlet phenylcarbene. Incarcerated cycloheptatetraene is stable for a limited time at 100 degrees C and almost infinitely stable at room temperature in the absence of oxygen. NOESY experiments provide the distance ratio r21/r23 = 1.134 +/- 0.01 between protons H1-H2 and H2-H3 of cycloheptatetraene which is consistent with its twisted structure. Low-temperature photolysis of phenyldiazirine, incarcerated inside a chiral hemicarcerand which is built from two cavitands connected with three butane-1,4-dioxy and one (S,S)-2,3-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxybutane-1,4-dioxy linker group yields two diastereomeric cycloheptatetraene hemicarceplexes in a 2:3 ratio (30% total yield). Variable temperature 1H NMR studies provided a lower limit of deltaG++ = 19.6 kcalmol(-1) for the enantiomerization barrier of cycloheptatetraene. Incarcerated cycloheptatetraene reacts rapidly with oxygen to yield benzene and carbon dioxide via the 1,2-dioxaspiro[2,6]nona-4,6,8-triene intermediate. Different mechanisms for the formation of this spirodioxirane intermediate are discussed based on the measured rate of the oxygen addition. The activation parameters for the decarboxylation of the spirodioxirane have been measured in different bulk solvents. The free energy of activation shows very little solvent dependency. However. a strong propensity for enthalpy-entropy compensation due to a solvent reorganization that accompanies the reaction coordinate is observed.     

Polybenzimidazoles,new thermally stable polymeres

Wholly aromatic polybenzimidazoles were synthesized from aromatic tetraamines and difunctional aromatic acids and characterized as new thermally stable polymers. The melt polycondensation of aromatic tetraamines and the diphenyl esters of aromatic dicarboxylic acids was developed as a general procedure of wide applicability. Polybenzimidazoles containing mixed aromatic units in the chain backbone were prepared from 3,3′-diaminobenzidine, 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene and a variety of aromatic diphenyl dicarboxylates. Phenyl 3,4-diaminobenzoate could also be polymerized by melt condensation to give poly-2,5(6)-benzimidazole. The polymers were characterized by a high degree of stability, showing great resistance to treatment with hydrolytic media and an ability to withstand continued exposure to elevated temperatures. Most of the polymers were infusible, but some had melting points above about 400°C. Many of the polymers exhibited no change in properties on being heated to 550°C, and showed a weight loss of less than 5% when heated under nitrogen for several hours to 600°C. The polymers were soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid and formic acid, producing stable solutions. Many of the polymers were soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide and some also in dimethylformamide. The inherent viscosities of a number of polymers in 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide solution ranged from approximately 0.4 to 1.1. The higher polymers could be cast into stiff and tough films from formic acid and dimethyl sulfoxide solutions.     

New processable polyaromatic ether–keto-sulfones curable by Diels-Alder cycloaddition

New Processable polyaromatic ether-keto-sulfones were prepared from the acid chloride of bis-m-carboxyphenyl acetylene (XII), isophthaloyl chloride (XX), diphenyl ether (XVIII), and 4,4′-diphenoxydiphenyl sulfone (XIX) in a Friedel-Crafts-type polymerization. These polymers were cured by Diels-Alder cycloaddition with 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene. The cured polymers showed an increase in T_g and in thermal and heat stabilities. The polymers form colorless, transparent, brittle films and can be cast into a glass fiber laminate. Both meta-and para-substituted acid chlorides of biscarboxyphenyl-1,3-butadiene yielded insoluble polymers under the same conditions but form processable polymers where combined with acetylene units in the polymer chain. Polymers that contained both acetylene and butadiene units were prepared but could not be cured by an intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction.     

Polyaromatic ether-ketone-sulfones containing 1,3-butadiene units

The acid chloride of 1,4-bis-p-carboxyphenyl-1,3-butadiene (XI) and isophthaloyl chloride (XIV) were polymerized with 4,4′-diphenoxy-diphenyl sulfone (XII) and diphenyl ether (XIII) in a Friedel-Crafts type of polymerization. The polymers obtained, which contained 5–20 mole % of butadiene units, were insoluble in all solvents. The polyamides prepared from the acid chloride of 1,4-bis-p-carboxyphenyl-1,3-butadiene (XI) and aromatic diamines were also insoluble in all solvents.     

Polymers containing anthraquinone units: Polyimidazoles and polypyrrolones from 1,2,5,6-tetraaminoanthraquinone

1,2,5,6-Tetraaminoanthraquinone has been condensed with isophthalaldehyde and terephthalaldehyde and their bisulfite addition compounds to yield new heat-stable polymers. It has also been condensed with pyromellitic anhydride to give the pyrrolone. The highest viscosities were obtained in polymers prepared with acid catalysts. The polymers were nearly all soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid but not in organic solvents. Those soluble in sulfuric acid could also be solubilized by reduction with sodium dithionite and potassium hydroxide in aqueous organic solutions. A few polymers were apparently crosslinked, since they would not dissolve in either sulfuric acid or in base on reduction. Weak fibers were obtained by spinning the reduced alkaline solutions of the polymers into aqueous acid.     

Model compounds and polymers with quinoxaline units

Tetra- and heptanuclear N-heterocycles, their dimers and their polymers have been prepared by condensation of o-phenylenediamine or 3,3'-diaminobenzidine with 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxaline, 2,3,2,3'-tetrahydroxy-6,6'-bisquinoxaline, or 2,3,7,8-tetrahydroxy-1,4,6,9-tetraazaanthracene in polyphosphoric acid, or with the O-phenyl derivatives of the latter three compounds in phenol. The condensation products are highly colored compounds with characteristic absorption spectra. The polymers show good thermal stability.     

Aromatic polysulfonamides

Aromatic polysulfonamides have been prepared by solution polycondensation of aromatic disulfonyl chlorides and aromatic diamines with a suitable acid acceptor in such solvents as N,N-dimethylacetamide and tetramethylenesulfone. The highest molecular weight polymers were obtained by using 2,6-dimethylpyridine as the acid acceptor in tetramethylenesulfone as the solvent. Clear, translucent, brittle films of the polysulfonamides may be formed from solution or from melt.