Haloaldehyde polymers. IX. Polybromodichloroacetaldehyde

Bromodichloroacetaldehyde was synthesized by two methods. The first synthesis started from chloral, which was allowed to react with Ph₃P and the resultant compound brominated and hydrolyzed to give bromodichloroacetaldehyde in an overall yield of 60%. Purification by repeated distillation from P₂O₅ gave polymerization grade bromodichloroacetabldehyde. Bromodichloroacetaldehyde could also be synthesized by bromination of dichloroacetaldehyde diethyl acetal. The yields of this synthesis were only 20–30%, and the aldehyde could not be purified readily to give polymerization grade monomer. Bromodichloroacetaldehyde could be homopolymerized at ?30°C with anionic and also some cationic initiators to a polymer which was insoluble and did not melt but degraded to monomer above 200°C. The ceiling temperature of the polymerization was ?15°C in 1M solution. Bromodichloroacetaldehyde could also be copolymerized with isocyanates, primarily aryl isocyanates, and also with chloral.