Syntheses of vinyl polymers containing a large π-electron cloud in the side chain

Several novel vinyl polymers containing five fused benzene rings in side chains were synthesized either by polymerization of the appropriate vinyl monomers or by chemical modification of the appropriate polymer. Thus, 3-(α-acryloyloxy)ethylperylene was prepared from perylene by Friedel-Crafts acylation with acetyl chloride and subsequent hydrogenation, followed by the reaction of the resulting alcohol with acryloyl chloride. 3-Acrylamido- or methacrylaminoperylene was prepared by the nitration of perylene, reduction of the resulting 3-nitroperylene, and the reaction with acryloyl or methacryloyl chloride. p-Vinylbenzal-3-acetylperylene was prepared by the condensation and dehydration reaction between p-vinylbenzaldehyde and 3-acetylperylene under alkaline medium, and, in the same manner, p-vinylbenzal-3-aminoperylene was prepared from p-vinyl benzaldehyde and 3-aminoperylene. All these monomers were polymerized with α,α′-azobisisobutyronitrile as catalyst in solution to afford the corresponding vinyl polymers. A vinyl polymer containing perylene-3-acetyl side chain was also prepared by the acetalization of poly(vinyl alcohol) with 3-formylperylene.     

Grafting of a bicycloorthoester onto polymers bearing sulfonium salt structures

Graft copolymerization of a bicycloorthoester (BOE) with polymer-supported sulfonium salts was studied. Several polymer-supported sulfonium salts were prepared by the homopolymerizations of p-vinylbenzyl tetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate ( 2 ) and 4-(p-vinylphenyl)butyl tetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate ( 3 ), and by the copolymerizations of 2 with some vinyl monomers (n-butyl vinyl ether, styrene, acrylonitrile, and p-styrenesulfonic acid potassium salt). These sulfonium salts could initiate the polymerization of BOE to give grafted polymers. Temperature dependences of the catalytic activity of them were not so dramatic as that of benzyl tetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate ( 1 ), but the activities of them were higher than that of 1 at temperatures lower than 80°C. The conversion of BOE in the polymerizations with these polymer initiators was ca. 30–70% at 120°C for 7 h. An effect of the comonomer structure on the catalytic activity was observed and styrene was the best comonomer for 2 in terms of the reactivity of the copolymer. The spacer-modified sulfonium salt (homopolymer of 3 ) was slightly lower than polymer-supported benzyl type sulfonium salt (homopolymer of 2 ) in the catalytic activity.     

Synthesis and electrical conductivity of poly(arylene vinylene). I. Poly(2,5-dimethoxyphenylene vinylene) and poly(2,5-dimethylphenylene vinylene)

The highly conjugated aromatic polymers, poly(2,5-dimethoxyphenylene vinylene) and poly(2,5-dimethylphenylene vinylene), were obtained from their water soluble, sulfonium salt precursor polymers. Films of these polymers were reacted with either AsF₅ or I₂ vapor. Poly(2,5-dimethoxyphenylene vinylene) showed increases in electrical conductivity of up to 14 to 15 orders of magnitude for these two dopants, while an 8 to 9 order of magnitude increase was observed for poly(2,5-dimethylphenylene vinylene) with the same dopants. The synthesis of the precursor polymers, the properties and elimination reactions of films of the precursors, the doping reactions, and the conductivities of the resulting phenylene vinylene films are discussed.     

Synthesis of Polyphenylene Thioethers Through Cationic Oxidative Polymerization

Polyaromatic sulfides are efficiently and conveniently prepared by cationic oxidative polymerization. Diphenyl disulfides are quantitatively polymerized to yield poly(p-phenylene sulfide)s as white powders whose structure predominately contains 1,4-phenylene sul-fide bonds. The disulfides are oxidized to phenylbis(phenylthio) sulfonium cations as active species of the polymerization. Repeating the oxidation and electrophilic reaction of the cation to the p-position of disulfides yields the polymer.     

Thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymers prepared from a dihalide monomer and a salt of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid

Alkali and earth‐alkali salts of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid (DCPDCA) were prepared and employed as monomers in the polyesterification with an α,ω‐dihalide monomer, such as 1,4‐dichlorobutane (DCB), 1,4‐dibromobutane (DBB), α,α′‐dichloro‐p‐xylene (DCX), and α,α′‐dibromo‐p‐xylene (DBX). Novel linear polymers that possessed repeating moieties of dicyclopentadiene ( DCPD ) in the backbone were thus prepared. The IR and NMR spectra indicated that poly(tetramethylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PTMDD) with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n ) of about 1× 10⁴ and poly(p‐xylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PXDD) with a M_n of 4–6 × 10³ were obtained with an yield of about 80% via the polyesterification of the alkali salts with DBB and DCX, respectively. The reaction was carried out in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, such as BzMe₃NBr or poly(ethylene glycol), in DMF at 100 °C for 4 h. Oligomers with a lower M_n (1–2 × 10³) were obtained when the earth‐alkali salts were employed as salt monomers. Compared to the irreversible linear polymers, poly(p‐xylene terephthalate) (PXTP) and poly(p‐xylene maleate) (PXM), prepared through the reaction between DCX and the potassium salts of terephthalic and maleic acid, respectively, the specific viscosities (η_sp) of the new linear polymers increased abnormally with the decrease of the temperature from 200 °C to 100 °C. This occurred due to the thermally reversible dedimerization/redimerization of  DCPD moieties of the backbone of the polymers via the catalyst‐free Diels–Alder/retro Diels–Alder cycloadditive reactions. The ratio of the η_sp at 100 °C and 200 °C of the reversible polymers was found to be much higher than that of PXTP and PXM, even when the heating/cooling cycle was carried out several times under a N₂ atmosphere. The obtained results indicated that thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymer can be obtained by introducing the  DCPD structure into the backbone of the polymer through the polymerization of a monomer containing the  DCPD moiety. The reversible natures of the polymers and oligomers might be useful in preparing easily processable and recyclable polymers and thermosensor materials. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1662–1672, 2000     

Polymers containing fluorinated ketone groups. IV. Syntheses and characterization of new fluorinated ketone-containing polymer-substituted polystyrenes

A series of new fluorinated ketone-containing polymers, poly(p-vinyltrifluoroacetophenone) (PVTFA), poly(p-vinyldifluoroacetophenone) (PVDFA), poly(p-vinylphenylheptafluoropropyl ketone) (PVHFK), and poly(o-and p-vinylbenzyltrifluoromethyl ketone) (PVTFK), were prepared by the free radical polymerization of the corresponding monomers. The monomers, p-vinyltrifluoroacetophenone (VTFA), p-vinyldifluoroacetophenone (VDFA), p-vinylphenylheptafluoropropyl ketone (VHFK), and o-and p-vinylbenzyltrifluoromethyl ketone (VTFK), were prepared by the reaction of Grignard reagent with the corresponding perfluoroacid or its lithium salt. Polymerization was a competitive side reaction during monomer preparation. Reduced side reaction and higher yields of monomer (based on the Grignard reagent) were obtained from the lithium salt of the perfluoroacid, compared with the perfluoroacid itself. These new substituted polystyrenes which contain fluorinated ketone functionality were characterized by their ability to (1) react with active hydrogen compounds such as alcohols or water; (2) have high glass transition temperatures and decreased solubility in nonpolar solvents (e. g., benzene) compared with polystyrene; and (3) be converted into other functional groups such as alcohols or acids by treatment with the appropriate chemical reagents. Beads of a styrene (ST) terpolymer with 2% divinylbenzene (DVB), which contained the CF₃COCH₂ function, were prepared by suspension polymerization of ST, VTFK, and DVB. The terpolymer, which contains 15-17% mole (or 0.70–0.71 meg/g) of CF₃COCH₂ swollen with a solvent, were shown to chemisorb alcohols.     

Preparation of poly-p-xylylenes by electrolysis

Poly-p-xylylenes were prepared by electrolytic reduction of α,α′-dihalo-p-xylenes at controlled cathode potentials (c.p.). Polymers and halides are formed at the cathode; at the anode the halide is oxidized to halogen. Poly-p-xylylene was prepared from α,α′-dichloro-p-xylene (c.p. ?1.2 v.) and α,α′-dibromo-p-xylene (c.p. ?1.2 v.); poly-p-2-chloroxylylene from α,α′,2-trichloro-p-xylene (c.p. ?1.4 v.) and α,α′-dibromo-2-chloro-p-xylene (c.p. ?1.2 v.); poly-α,α,α′,α′-tetrachloro-p-xylylene from α,α,α,α′,α′,α′-hexachloro-p-xylene (c.p. ?0.7 v.), and poly-α,α,α′,α′-tetrafluoro-p-xylylene from α,α′-dibromo-α,α,α′,α′-tetrafluoro-p-xylene (c.p. ?1.1 v.). The cathode potentials were measured and controlled with respect to a saturated calomel electrode. Current efficiencies up to 96% were observed. α,α,α′,α′-Tetrachloro-p-xylylene was identified as an intermediate in the reduction of α,α,α,α′,α′,α′-hexachloro-p-xylene. A general mechanism for these reactions is suggested and discussed. It involves elimination of halide by a two-electron charge transfer with formation of a xylyl anion, followed by an elimination of halide in α′-position yielding xylylenes which then polymerize.     

Studies of some new bioactive acrylic esters

Four typical bioactive esters of acrylic monomers, N-p-acryloxybenzoyloxysuccinimides, 3-ac-ryloxy-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazines, N-acryloxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximides, and I-p-acryloxybenzoyloxybenzotriazoles, were Synthesized and polymerized as reactive polymers. Twelve new monomers were prepared by coupling acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, p-acryloxybenzoic acid, or p-methacryloxybenzoic acid with four N-hydroxy compounds such as N-hydroxysuccinimide (HOSu), 3-hydroxy-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazine (HOObt), N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (HONB), and I -hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBT) in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodimide. All monomers polymerized readily in solution with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as free radical initiator. The resulting reactive polymers with reactive ? OSu, ? OObt, ? ONB, or ? OBT group on the side chain are equally reactive toward n-butylamine at room temperature in the formation of corresponding polyacrylamides. Reactive polymers were used to immobilizetrypsin. It has been found that poly(N-p-methacryloxybenzoyloxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide)-trypsin matrix had high activity around three times that of the poly(N-methacryloxy-5-norbornene-dicarboximide)-trypsin matrix. It is proposed that this activity may be due to the presence of a long spacer arm with a hydrophobic and rigid benzene ring between the ligand and matrix. The reactive poly(N-p-methacryloxybenzoyloxysuccinimide-p-methacryloxybenzoic acid) copolymer was used to immobilize the serum protein. This immobilized protein was a hopeful bioactive solid immunoadsorbent.     

Synthesis of di‐ and triblock copolymers of styrene and butyl acrylate by controlled atom transfer radical polymerization

Di‐ and triblock copolymers of styrene and butyl acrylate with controlled molar masses (M_n up to ≈ 10⁵) were sequentially prepared by radical atom transfer polymerization in a homogeneous medium using chlorine end capped polymers as initiators and the copper^(I) chloride/bipyridine complex as catalyst, in the presence of dimethylformamide. Random poly(styrene‐co‐butyl acrylate) was synthesized and the cross‐over reactions between Cl end capped polystyrene and poly(butyl acrylate) to the opposite monomers were examined.     

Synthesis of hetero‐telechelic polymers by self‐polyaddition of monomers containing both oxetanyl and carboxyl groups

The synthesis and self‐polyaddition of new monomers, o‐, m‐, and p‐[(3‐ethyloxetane‐3‐yl)methoxyethyl]benzoic acid (o‐EOMB, m‐EOMB, and p‐EOMB) containing both oxetanyl groups and carboxyl groups were examined. The reactions of o‐EOMB, m‐EOMB, and p‐EOMB in the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide as a catalyst in o‐dichlorobenzene at 150–170 °C resulted in self‐polyaddition to give the corresponding hetero‐telechelic polymers poly(o‐EOMB), poly(m‐EOMB), and poly(p‐EOMB) with M_ns = 14,500–33,400 in satisfactory yields. The M_n of poly(o‐EOMB) decreased at higher reaction temperatures than 150 °C, unlike those of poly(m‐EOMB) and poly(p‐EOMB), possibly due to inter‐ or intraester exchange side reactions. It was also found that the thermal properties and solubilities of these polymers were supposed with the proposed structures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7835–7842, 2008     

Polyaddition reactions of bisethyleneureas and 1,1,3,3-diethyleneurea with polymethylene dimercaptans in LiCl-dimethylformamide

Polyaddition reactions of 1,1′-tetramethylenebis(3,3-ethyleneurea) (IIa), 1,1′-octamethylenebis(3,3-ethyleneurea) (IIb), 1,1′-p-phenylenebis(3,3-ethyleneurea) (IIc), 1,1′-(4,4′-diphenylmethane)bis(3,3-ethyleneurea) (IId) and 1,1,3,3-diethyleneurea (III) with polymethylene dimercaptans were investigated. 1,1′-Polymethylenebis(3,3-ethyleneureas) and polymethylene dimercaptans successfully reacted at 80–95°C. in the presence of triethylamine to give poly(urea sulfides) with intrinsic viscosities up to 1.1 in about 90% yield when dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone containing lithium chloride as a solvent were used. The other ethyleneureas, however, failed to give high molecular weight polymers.     

Poly(arylene sulfides) with pendant cyano groups as high-temperature laminating resins. II

Poly(phenylene sulfides) containing various amounts of pendant cyano groups were synthesized from m-benzenedithiol and the corresponding amounts of p-dibromobenzene and 3,5-dichlorobenzonitrile. The polymers prepared by the use of 10, 15, 20, and 25% of the nitrile-containing dichloro compound were slightly off-white with melting ranges below 100°C and had inherent viscosities of about 0.15 dl/g in hexamethylphosphoric triamide at 30°C. The polymers prepared from m-benzenedithiol and the stoichiometric amounts of 2,4-dichlorobenzonitrile or 3,5-dichlorobenzonitrile looked similar to those described above, yet they possessed much higher melting ranges. The poly(phenylene sulfide) prepared by the use of 2,4-dichlorobenzonitrile had an inherent viscosity of 0.06 dl/g while the polymer prepared from the 3,5-dichloro isomer had an inherent viscosity of 0.38 dl/g. All the polymers listed above were crosslinked by heating alone or in the presence of anthracene-9,10-bisnitrile oxide to give black resinous polymers that were insoluble in hexamethylphosphoric triamide in which the original polymers dissolved quite readily.     

Polyaromatic pyrazines: Synthesis and thermogravimetric analysis

The syntheses of five polyaromatic pyrazine polymers are described. These polymers were synthesized by the condensation of bis-α-haloaromatic ketones with ammonia in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solvent in the presence of air or peroxides. The condensation of bis-p-(α-bromoacetyl)benzene (IIIa), bis-p,p′-(α-chloroacetyl)biphenyl (IIIb) bis-p,p′-(α-chloroacetyl)diphenyl ether (IIIc), bis-p,p′-(α-chloroacetyl)diphenylmethane (IIId), and α,α′-dibenzoyl-α,α′-dibromo-p-xylene (V) under these reaction conditions gave poly[2,5-(1,4-phenylene)pyrazine] (IVa), poly[2,5-(4,4′-biphenylene)-pyrazine] (IVb), poly[2,5-(4,4′-oxydiphenylene)pyrazine] (IVc), poly[2,5-(4,4′-methylenediphenylene)pyrazine] (IVd), and poly[2,5-(1,4-phenylene)-3,6-diphenylpyrazine] (VI), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of these polymers showed them to be thermally stable up to the temperature range of 450–550°C in air for short periods of time. The inherent viscosities of these polymers ranged from 0.18 to 1.30.     

Alkylated polypyrazines

The syntheses of four new monomers and two new polyaromatic pyrazines are described. The monomers; bis-p,p′-(octanoyl)diphenyl ether (Ia), bis-p,p′-(hexadecanoyl)diphenyl ether (Ib), bis-p,p′-(α-bromooctanoyl)diphenyl ether (IIa), and bis-p,p′-(α-bromohexadecanoyl)diphenyl ether (IIb), were produced by Friedel-Crafts acylation of diphenyl ether with the corresponding acyl chloride and subsequent α-bromination. Prepolymers were synthesized by the condensation of (IIa) and (IIb) with ammonia in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and polymers were prepared by subsequent melt condensation of the prepolymer to produce poly[2,5-(oxydiphenylene)-3,6-(dihexyl)pyrazine] (IIIa), and poly[2,5-(oxydiphenylene)-3,6-(ditetradecyl)pyrazine] (IIIb). Polymer IIIa was thermally (stable at >400°C while polymer IIIb was a tacky substance). The inherent viscosity of IIIa produced by 12 hr of melt condensation was 0.30 dl/g in formic acid. Additional heating in excess of 24 hr gave a slightly soluble polymer. The inherent viscosity of IIIb produced by 40 hr of melt condensation was 0.37 dl/g in formic acid.     

Study of photopolymer. XVII. Synthesis of novel photosensitive polymers with pendant photosensitive group and photosensitizer groups

Novel photosensitive polymers with pendant photosensitive group, such as cinnamic ester, and photosensitizer groups, such as N-carbamoyl-p-nitroaniline and N-carbamoly-4-nitro-1-naphthylamine, were synthesized from radical copolymerizations of (2-cinnamoyloxy)ethylmethacrylate with photosensitizer monomers, such as p-nitrophenylmethacrylamide and 4-nitro-1-na-phthylmethacrylamide, by using asobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in benzene and from the copolymerizations of (2-hydroxy)ethylmethacrylate or (2-hydroxy)ethylacrylate with photosensitizer monomers by using AIBN in DMF. This procedure was followed by condensation reactions of the copolymers with cinnamoyl chloride with pyridine as HCL acceptor in the same reaction flask. The photoreactivities of the polymers obtained were influenced by the concentration of photosensitive group and photosensitizer groups and their ratio in the polymer matrix. In addition, the photosensitivity of cinnamic ester groups attached to a soft polymer segment was higher than that of cinnamic ester group attached to a hard polymer segment when these polymers had the same pendant N-carbamoyl-p-nitroaniline group as photosensitizer. Furthermore, the spacer length between the polymer chain and photosensitizer group was important for increasing the photoreactivity of the photosensitive group in the polymers with pendant cinnamic ester and N-carbamoyl-p-nitroaniline groups.     

Cationic Polymerization of Cyclic Sulfides

Abstract

The mechanism of the cationic polymerization of several thietanes and of propylene sulfide under the influence of triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate in methylene chloride is described. The thietane polymerizations stop at limited conversions because of a termination reaction occurring between the reactive chain ends (cyclic sulfonium salts) and the sulfur atoms of the polymer chain. The maximum conversions obtained under identical conditions differ markedly for the different monomers. Ratios of rate constants of propagation (k_p) to rate constants of termination (k_t) have been calculated. The differences in k _p/k_t. values for the different monomers are explained in terms of differences in basicity and differences in steric hindrance of the monomers compared to the corresponding polymers. In the case of propylene sulfide it is proposed that the main termination reaction is the formation of 12-membered ring sulfonium salts by an intramolecular reaction of the third sulfur of the growing polymer chain with the reactive chain end (three-membered ring sulfonium salt). This terminated polymer is able to reinitiate the polymerization, for example, by reaction of a monomer molecule at the exocyclic carbon atom of the sulfonium salt function. The cyclic tetramer of propylene sulfide is formed in this reaction. After complete polymerization, formation of cyclic tetramer continues, probably via a backbiting mechanism. In methylene chloride as solvent, the absolute value of the rate constant of propagation for 3,3-dimethylthietane changes with changing concentration of initiator and by adding different amounts of indifferent electrolyte to the reaction mixture. From these changes, and assuming that the value of the dissociation constant of the growing chain-ends is close to values of dissociation constants of low molecular weight sulfonium salts, separate rate constants for propagation via free ions and ion-pairs were calculated. The propagation constant of free ions is about 70 times higher than that of ion pairs in methylene chloride at 20°C. Free ions and ion pairs are nearly equally reactive in nitrobenzene.     

Novel aromatic polyhydrazides and poly(amide-hydrazide)s based on “multiring” flexible dicarboxylic acids

Two flexible dicarboxylic acid monomers, 4,4′-[isopropylidenebis(1,4-phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoic acid ( 1 ) and 4,4′-[hexafluoroisopropylidenebis(1,4-phenylene)-dioxy]dibenzoic acid ( 3 ), were synthesized from readily available compounds in two steps in high yields. High molecular-weight polyhydrazides and poly(amide-hydra-zide)s were directly prepared from dicarboxylic acids 1 and 3 with terephthalic dihydrazide ( 5 ), isophthalic dihydrazide ( 6 ), and p-aminobenzhydrazide ( 7 ) by the phosphorylation reaction by means of diphenyl phosphite (DPP) and pyridine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/LiCl, or prepared from the diacyl chlorides of 1 and 3 with the hydrazide monomers 5–7 by the low-temperature solution polycondensation in NMP/LiCl. Less favorable results were obtained when using triphenyl phosphite (TPP) instead of DPP in the direct polycondensation reactions. Except for those derived from terephthalic dihydrazide, the resulting polyhydrazides and poly(amide-hydrazide)s could be cast into colorless, flexible, and tough films with good tensile strengths. All the hydrazide polymers and copolymers are amorphous in nature and are readily soluble in various polar solvents such as NMP and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Their T_gs were recorded in the range of 162–198°C and could be thermally cyclodehydrated into the corresponding polyoxadiazoles and poly(amide-oxadiazole)s approximately in the region of 300–380°C, as evidenced by the DSC thermograms. The oxadiazole polymers and copolymers showed a dramatically decreased solubility and higher T_g when compared to their respective hydrazide prepolymers. They exhibited T_gs of 190–216°C and were stable up to 450°C in air or nitrogen. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1847–1854, 1998     

Graft polymers: Chain transfer and branching

The vinyl monomers, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and methyl acrylate were polymerized in the presence of chlorinated rubber or poly(vinyl chloride) in homogeneous solution with benzoyl peroxide as catalyst. A graft polymer was formed by a chain-transfer reaction involving the growing polymer radicals to the backbone of chlorinated rubber or poly(vinyl chloride), in addition to homopolymer from the monomer. The homopolymer was isolated from the polymer mixture by fractional precipitation from methyl ethyl ketone solution with methanol as precipitant. The chain-transfer constants for the branching reactions were evaluated. The ratios k_p/(k_t)^1/2 for the grafting reactions were obtained by a correlation of chain-transfer constants with the extent of branching. The chain-transfer data were correlated on the basis of an extension of the Q–e scheme of Alfrey and Price to polymer–polymer transfer reactions. Specific effects due to the backbone are found to have considerable influence on the course of the chaintransfer reactions and k_p/(k_t)^1/2 of the grafting reactions.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(amide sulfonamide)s (PASAs)

New diamino monomers IIa – IIg were synthesized in a two-step reaction sequence starting from p-acetamidobenzenesulfonyl chloride. Solution polymerization of these monomers in DMAC with terephthaloyl or isophthaloyl chloride resulted in the formation of a series of 14 poly(amide sulfonamide)s (PASAs) in excellent yield (> 95%). The polymers have in-trinsic viscosities of 0.32–1.11 dL g^?1. Except for polymers IIIa ? p and IIId - p , all other PASAs were readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents including DMAC, DMF, and DMSO. Thermogravimetric analyses of the polymers showed moderate thermal stability with 10% weight loss being recorded in the range of 325–408°C. In addition, these polymers exhibit moderate chemical stabilities toward alkali, acidic, and chromic acid solution. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of poly(1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylene)s with high cis‐content and examination of their absorption/emission properties

A series of 1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylenes [Cl‐C?C‐Ar, Ar = C₆H₅ ( 1 ), C₆H₄‐p‐i Pr ( 2 ), C₆H₄‐p‐Oi Pr ( 3 ), C₆H₄‐p‐NHC(O)Ot Bu ( 4 ), and C₆H₄‐o‐i Pr ( 5 )] were polymerized using (tBu₃P)PdMeCl/silver trifluoromethanesulfonate (AgOTf) and MoCl₅/SnBu₄ catalysts. The corresponding polymers [poly( 1 )–poly( 5 )] with weight‐average molecular weights of 6,500–690,000 were obtained in 10–91% yields. THF‐insoluble parts, presumably high‐molecular weight polymers, were formed together with THF‐soluble polymers by the Pd‐catalyzed polymerization. The Pd catalyst polymerized nonpolar monomers 1 and 2 to give the polymers in yields lower than the Mo catalyst, while the Pd catalyst polymerized polar monomers 3 and 4 to give the corresponding polymers in higher yields. The ¹H NMR and UV–vis absorption spectra of the polymers indicated that the cis‐contents of the Pd‐based polymers were higher than those of the Mo‐based polymers, and the conjugation length of the Pd‐based polymers was shorter than that of the Mo‐based polymers. Pd‐based poly( 5 ) emitted fluorescence most strongly among poly( 1 )–poly( 5 ). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 382–388