Reactions of poly(phenylene oxide)s with quinones. I. The quinone-coupling reaction between low-molecular-weight poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-diphenoquinone

A bifunctional polymer is formed when low-molecular-weight poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (I) reacts with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-diphenoquinone (II). Infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromotography (GPC) measurements indicate that the quinone is bound covalently to the polymer chain as a biphenyl moiety which can be located at a terminal position (III, a = 0) or an internal position (III, a > 0): Acetylation of III produces a diacetate ester characterized by field desorption mass spectrometry to confirm the bifunctional nature of III. The reaction of I with II proceeds at 25°C but is faster at elevated temperatures or with amine catalysis. Oxidation of III with oxygen and a copper/amine catalyst of the type used initially to prepare I regenerates II from the biphenyl moiety in III in high yield and converts the remaining oxyphenylene units to high-molecular-weight polymer.