Synthesis and characterization of poly(aryl ether sulfonate)s with fluorinated phenyl-radicals in the side chain

A series of novel poly(aryl ether sulfone)s (PAESs) were prepared from bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulfone and various bisphenol monomers via nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation. The polycondensation proceeded quantitatively in N,N-dimethylacetamide and afforded PAESs with inherent viscosities of 0.62–0.81 dL/g. The obtained PAESs showed high-glass transition temperatures beyond 177°C and excellent thermal stability with 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 541–571°C. The PAESs 2a–c could dissolve readily in common organic solvents and their solubility was improved by the introduction of bulky pendant groups. The PAESs formed transparent, strong and flexible films, with tensile strengths of 88.1–98.7 MPa, Young modulus of 3.14–3.52 GPa, and elongation at break of 18–34%. Furthermore, the resulting PAES films showed low dielectric constants (2.77–3.02 at 1 MHz) and low water absorption (0.51–0.83%).