Synthesis and application of polytetrahydrofuran-grafted polystyrene (PS-PTHF) resin supports for organic synthesis

Cross-linked polystyrene (PS) with polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) chains were prepared for use in solid phase organic synthesis (SPOS). The resins were prepared from styrene, styrene-PTHF macromonomers and cross-linkers 1,4-bis4-vinylphenoxy]butane or divinylbenzene by suspension polymerization. The styrene-PTHF macromonomers were prepared by cationic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl bromide and 4-(4-vinylphenoxy)butyl iodide activated by silver hexafluoroantimonate and 4-(5-hydroxypentyl)styrene activated by triflic anhydride. Alternatively, polytetrahydrofuran-grafted polystyrene (PS-PTHF) resins could also be directly prepared from 5-hydroxypentyl JandaJel by cationic polymerization using triflic anhydride as the initiator. These PS-PTHF resins exhibited good swelling characteristics across a wide spectrum of polar and non-polar solvents. These resins were used in the synthesis of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one, which requires β-ketoester formation at low temperature (−78 °C), resulting in good yield and product purity; whereas the same synthesis carried out on PEG-grafted PS (PS-PEG) resin resulted in incomplete synthesis.