Phthalide as an activating group for the synthesis of poly(aryl ether phthalide)s by nucleophilic aromatic substitution

The phthalide ring was examined as an activating group for nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The proposed mechanism by which activation occurs is through a ring opening of the phthalide ring to form a Meisenheimer‐like σ complex. 3,3‐Bis(4‐fluorophenyl)phthalide was synthesized and examined under different reaction conditions to determine its suitability for polymer formation. Semiempirical calculations at the PM3 level suggested that 3,3‐bis(4‐fluorophenyl)phthalide is only moderately activated, whereas ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy suggested that the monomer was not sufficiently activated for nucleophilic aromatic substitution. However, low‐molecular‐weight polymers (number‐average molecular weight < 7000 g/mol) were produced from bisphenol A, hydroquinone, and phenolphthalein. The polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The polymers displayed relatively high glass‐transition temperatures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3046–3054, 2002     

Synthesis and properties of poly(arylene ether phenyl-s-triazine)s

A series of new poly(arylene ether phenyl-s-triazine)s was prepared by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization of the potassium salt of bisphenols with 2,4-bis (halophenyl)-6-phenyl-s-triazine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at elevated temperature. The polymers with inherent viscosities exceeding 0.5 were obtained after polymerization for 1 h using 2,4-bis(fluorophenyl)-6-phenyl-s-triazine as a monomer. The glass transition temperatures of the resulting polymers ranged from 200 to 260°C depending on the bisphenol used in the polymer synthesis. The poly(arylene ether phenyl-s-triazine)s demonstrated excellent thermal stabilities in excess of 490°C (5% weight loss in air). The isothermal TGA measurements (400°C under air or nitrogen atmosphere) revealed that the 4,4'-biphenol- and hydroquinone-based poly(arylene ether phenyl-s-triazine)s belong to the most superior class of heat resistant polymers, such as polyimide Kapton?. The mechanical properties of these polymers are also described. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Poly(arylene sulfide)s by nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization of 2,7‐difluorothianthrene

Poly(thianthrene phenylene sulfide) and poly(thianthrene sulfide) have been prepared by nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization of the activated monomer 2,7‐difluorothianthrene with bis thiophenoxide and sulfide nucleophiles, respectively. The resulting polymers are thermally stable, amorphous materials that have been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry, UV‐Vis spectroscopy, refractometry, and intrinsic viscosity (IV) measurements. The polymers produced exhibit 5% weight loss values approaching 500 °C in inert and air atmospheres and glass transition temperatures that range from 149 to 210 °C. Poly(thianthrene phenylene sulfide) with a number average molecular weight of 22,100 g/mol has been synthesized with an IV in DMPU of 0.62 dL/g at 30 °C. Creasable films of this polymer have been prepared by solvent casting and melt pressing at 250 °C. Films of poly(thianthrene phenylene sulfide) exhibit transparencies greater than 50% at wavelengths exceeding 400 nm and a high refractive index value of 1.692 at a wavelength of 633 nm, making the polymer interesting for optical applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2453–2461, 2009     

Synthesis and properties of poly(arylene ether imide ketone)s

Poly(arylene ether ketone)s containing imide units were prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic displacement reaction of the potassium salts of bisphenols with bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)phthalimides in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at elevated temperature. The polymers having inherent viscosities of 0.34–0.77 dL/g were obtained in 2 h. The polymers exhibited glass transition temperatures ranging from 216 to 268°C and decomposition temperatures (5% weight loss under air atmosphere) ranging from 450–570°C mainly depending on the bisphenols used in the polymer synthesis. The isothermal TGA measurements (400°C under air or nitrogen atmosphere) revealed that the 4,4'-biphenol- and hydroquinone-based poly(arylene ether ketone imide)s belong to a superior class of heat resistant polymers. The mechanical properties of these polymers are also described. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fluoride‐terminated hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s via nucleophilic aromatic substitution

A series of AB_x‐type triarylphosphine oxide monomers, bis‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4a ), bis‐(3,4‐difluorophenyl)‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4b ), and 4‐hydroxyphenyl‐bis‐(3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4c ) were prepared, characterized, and polymerized under nucleophilic aromatic substitution conditions [N‐methylpyrrolidone (NMP), K₂CO₃] to provide the corresponding hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s with number‐average molecular weights ranging from 9200 to 14,600 Da. NMR spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of highly branched products with an approximate degree of branching of 0.57. The polymers were soluble in a variety of typical organic solvents and displayed excellent thermal stability. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1456–1467, 2002     

Preparation of poly(ether ketone)s derived from 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid via nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization

From the viewpoint of the suppression of the petroleum consumption, aromatic poly(ether ketone)s (PEKs) were prepared by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution polymerization of 2,5‐bis(4‐fluorobenzoyl)furan (BFBF) synthesized from biomass and aromatic bisphenols. The model reaction of BFBF and p‐methoxyphenol revealed that BFBF possessed enough reactivity for the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The polymerizations of BFBF and aromatic bisphenols afforded high molecular weight polymers with good yields in N‐methylpyrrolidone and diphenyl sulfone for several hours. The longer polymerization time brought about the formation of insoluble parts in any solvents and reduction of molecular weight. The obtained PEKs were thermoplastics and exhibited good thermal stability, mechanical properties, and chemical resistance comparable to common high‐performance polymers. The thermal properties were tunable with the structure of bisphenols. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3094–3101     

Synthesis and characterization of new fluorescent poly(arylene ether)s

The poly(arylene ether)s were prepared by the nucleophillic aromatic substitution polymerization of phenolphthalin and its derivatives with activated aromatic difluorides. The polymers had glass transition temperatures ranging from 210 to 240°C. Though the monomers have no fluorescence, the resulting polymers fluoresced a light green color in solid and solution states. The maximum excitation and emission wavelengths are 420 nm and 470 nm, respectively. In the polymer solutions, the fluorescence intensity decreased gradually, but the intensity was recovered by heating the polymer at 220°C for a few minutes. The fluorescent polymer had a stable radical. A model compound having the same repeating unit of the polymer was also prepared. The fluorescence properties of this model were almost the same as those of the polymers. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thianthrene as an activating group for the synthesis of poly(aryl ether thianthrene)s by nucleophilic aromatic substitution

A method for the preparation of poly(aryl ether thianthrene)s has been developed in which the aryl ether linkage is generated in the polymer‐forming reaction. The thianthrene heterocycle is sufficiently electron‐withdrawing to allow fluoro displacement with phenoxides by nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The monomer for this reaction, 2,7‐difluorothianthrene, can be synthesized in a moderate yield by a simple reaction sequence. Semiempirical calculations at the PM3 level suggest that 2,7‐difluorothianthrene is sufficiently activated, whereas NMR spectroscopy (¹H and ¹³C) indicates that the monomer is only slightly activated or (¹⁹F) not sufficiently activated for nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Model reactions with p‐cresol have demonstrated that the fluorine atoms on 2,7‐difluorothianthrene are readily displaced by phenoxides in high yields, and the process has been deemed suitable for polymer‐forming reactions. High‐molecular‐weight polymers have been produced from bisphenol A, bisphenol AF, and 4,4′‐biphenol. The polymers have been characterized with gel permeation chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The glass‐transition temperatures for the polymers of different compositions and molecular weights range from 138 to 181 °C, and all the polymers have shown high thermooxidative stability, with 5% weight loss values in an air environment approaching 500 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6353–6363, 2004     

Synthesis and properties of new crystalline poly(arylene ether nitriles)

Crystalline poly(arylene ether nitrile) could be prepared by the polycondensation of 2,6-dihalobenzonitrile with resorcinol at 200°C in N-methylpyrrolidone in the presence of sodium carbonate. A reaction temperature of at least 200°C was necessary to attain high molecular weight polymer. Spectral data indicated that the polymer had the structure of a poly(meta-phenylene ether) with pendent nitrile groups on every other phenylene unit. Despite this structure, the crystallinity and the crystallization rate of the polymer were greater than those of the corresponding polymer with a para-linked structure. The glass transition temperature and the melting temperature of the polymer were almost the same as those of poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK^TM). A series of other new poly(arylene ether nitriles) were also examined. The polymers derived from 4,4′-biphenol, dihydroxytetra-phenylmethane, dihydroxydiphenylsulfone, and 1,5-isoquinolinediol had high glass transition temperatures. The poly(arylene ether nitriles) exhibited excellent tensile strength compared with the corresponding ketone- or sulfone-containing polymers. Comparing the three different kinds of polymers containing the same bisphenol units, the order of glass transition temperature was found to be sulfone- > nitrile- > ketone-containing polymers, while the order of tensile strength was nitrile- > ketone- > sulfone-containing polymers. The excellent mechanical properties are attributable to dipole-dipole interactions of nitrile groups. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Poly(arylene sulfide)s via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of halogenated pyromellitic diimides

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions are exploited to prepare poly(arylene sulfide)s (PAS's) via the reaction of bis-thiolates and dibrominated pyromellitic diimide (PMDI) derivatives. Small-molecule model studies reveal the reaction is well-defined and proceeds in quantitative yield in practical times at room temperature. Variation in comonomer feed ratios allowed some control over target polymer molecular weights in the step polymerization, but control was likely limited by the relatively poor polymer solubility in the dipolar aprotic solvents typically employed to promote SNAr reactions. One substitution pattern produces a steric “pocket” around the PMDI units, inducing a peculiar solubility trend in halogenated solvents; that is, greatly reduced solubility in CHCl₃ relative to CH₂Cl₂ and C₂H₂Cl₄. One example small-molecule readily dissolves in CHCl₃ at room temperature, then rapidly grows poorly soluble crystals revealed by single-crystal XRD to contain CHCl₃ molecules in the steric pockets. Finally, the recently demonstrated depolymerization of phthalonitrile-based PAS's via ipso substitution with monothiolates as chain scission agents yields quantitative molecular weight reduction to monomeric species from the polymers reported here.     

Synthesis and characterization of phthalazinone containing poly(arylene ether)s via a novel N–C coupling reaction

High‐molecular‐weight poly(phthalazinone)s with very high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) were synthesized via a novel N–C coupling reaction. New bisphthalazinone monomers ( 7a–e ) were synthesized from 2‐(4‐chlorobenzoyl) phthalic acid in two steps. Poly(phthalazinone)s, having inherent viscosities in the range of 0.34–0.91 dL/g, were prepared by the reaction of the bis(phthalazinone) monomers with an activated aryl halide in a dipolar aprotic solvent in the presence of potassium carbonate. The poly(phthalazinone)s exhibited T_g's greater than 230 °C. polymer 8b synthesized from diphenyl biphenol and bis(4‐flurophenyl) sulfone demonstrated the highest T_g of 297 °C. Thermal stabilities of the poly(phthalazinone)s were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. All the poly(phthalazinone)s showed a similar pattern of decomposition with no weight loss below 450 °C in nitrogen. The temperatures of 5% weight loss were observed to be about 500 °C. The poly(phthalazinone)s containing 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol and 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphenol and diphenyl ether linkage were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform. Other poly‐(phthalazinone)s were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as N,N′‐dimethylacetamide. The soluble poly(phthalazinone)s can be cast as flexible films from solution. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2481–2490, 2003     

Synthesis of Poly(arylene ether amine)s from a Monomer Containing an Electron‐Donating Amine Group in a Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction

Summary: Poly(arylene ether amine)s were synthesized by a nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation of bis[4‐fluoro‐3‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]amine with several bisphenols. Even though the monomer has an electron‐donating diphenylamine moiety, which normally deactivates a nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reaction, the polymerization proceeded by a S_NAr reaction to give high‐molecular‐weight polymers. The polymers show good solubility in common organic solvents and have T_gs in the range of 123 °C to 177 °C.

High‐molecular‐weight poly(arylene ether amine)s synthesized by a S_NAr reaction with the monomer containing an electron‐donating diphenylamine moiety.     

New highly stable metallabenzenes via nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction

Treatment of the ruthenabenzene [Ru{CHC(PPh(3))CHC(PPh(3))CH}Cl(2)(PPh(3))(2)]Cl (1) with excess 8-hydroxyquinoline in the presence of CH(3)COONa under air atmosphere produced the S(N)Ar product [(C(9) H(6)NO)Ru{CHC(PPh(3))CHC(PPh(3))C}(C(9)H(6)NO)(PPh(3))]Cl(2) (3). Ruthenabenzene 3 could be stable in the solution of weak alkali or weak acid. However, reaction of 3 with NaOH afforded a 7:1 mixture of ruthenabenzenes [(C(9)H(6)NO)Ru{CHC(PPh(3))CHCHC}(C(9)H(6)NO)(PPh(3))]Cl (4) and [(C(9)H(6)NO)Ru{CHCHCHC(PPh(3))C}(C(9)H(6)NO)(PPh(3))]Cl (5), presumably involving a P-C bond cleavage of the metallacycle. Complex 3 was also reactive to HCl, which results in a transformation of 3 to ruthenabenzene [Ru{CHC(PPh(3))CHC(PPh(3))C}Cl(2)(C(9)H(6)NO)(PPh(3))]Cl (6) in high yield. Thermal stability tests showed that ruthenabenzenes 4, 5, and 6 have remarkable thermal stability both in solid state and in solution under air atmosphere. Ruthenabenzenes 4 and 5 were found to be fluorescent in common solvents and have spectral behaviors comparable to those organic multicyclic compounds containing large π-extended systems.     

Soluble aromatic poly(ether amide)s containing aryl‐, alkyl‐, and chloro‐substituted phthalazinone segments

A series of novel aromatic diamines ( 2 – 4 ) containing the alkyl‐, aryl, or chloro‐substituted group of phthalazinone segments were synthesized via two synthetic steps starting from 4‐(3‐R‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2,3‐phthalazinone‐1 (R = Ph, CH₃, Cl). Three series of aromatic polyamides containing phthalazinone moieties were prepared through diamines 2 – 4 reacting with different aromatic dicarboxylic acids via a direct Yamazaki–Higashi phosphorylation polycondensation reaction. The resulting aromatic polyamides had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.40–0.76 dL/g. The thermal property of the polyamides was examined with DSC and thermogravimetric analysis. The glass‐transition temperatures of these polyamides ranged from 298 to 340 °C. The 10% mass‐loss temperature was above 405 °C under nitrogen. Structures of monomers 2 – 4 and the polymers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, and mass spectrometry. Good solubility of these polymers in polar solvents such as N‐methylpyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and m‐cresol was observed, and tough, flexible films were obtained from the polymer's DMAc solutions. The effect of the substituted group on the physical property of polymers was also investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2026–2030, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic poly(ether sulfone)s containing pendant sodium sulfonate groups

Poly(ether sulfone)s containing pendant sodium sulfonate groups were prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone ( 1 ) and sodium 5,5′-sulfonylbis (2-chlorobenzenesulfonate) ( 2 ) with bisphenols ( 3 ) in the presence of potassium carbonate in N,N-dimethylacetamide. A new monomer 2 containing the sodium sulfonate groups was synthesized by the sulfonation of 1 with fuming sulfuric acid. The polycondensation proceeded smoothly at 170°C and produced the desired poly(ether sulfone)s containing the sodium sulfonate with inherent viscosities up to 1.2 dL/g. The polymers were quite soluble in strong acid, dipolar aprotic solvents, m-cresol, and dichloromethane. The thermogravimetry of the polymers showed excellent thermal stability, indicating that 10% weight losses of the polymers were observed in the range above 460°C in nitrogen atmosphere. Both the glass transition temperatures and hydrophilicity of the polymers increased with increasing their concentrations of sodium sulfonate groups. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of wholly aromatic poly(azomethine)s containing donor–acceptor triphenylamine moieties

N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐4′,4″‐bisformyl‐diphenylamine was synthesized from N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐diphenylamine by the Vilsmeier‐Haack reaction. Soluble aromatic poly(azomethine)s (PAMs) were prepared by the solution polycondensation of N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐4′,4″‐bisformyl‐diphenylamine and aromatic diamine in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) at room temperature under reduced pressure. All the PAMs are highly soluble in various organic solvents, such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), chloroform (CHCl₃), and tetrahydrofuran (THF). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that these PAMs had glass‐transition temperatures (T_gs) in the range of 170–230 °C, and a 10% weight‐loss temperatures in excess of 490 °C with char yield at 800 °C in nitrogen higher than 60%. These PAMs in NMP solution showed UV‐Vis charge‐transfer (CT) absorption at 405–421 nm and photoluminescence peaks around 462–466 nm with fluorescence quantum efficiency (Φ_F) 0.10–0.99%. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels of these PAMs can be determined from cyclic voltammograms as 4.86–5.43 and 3.31–3.34 eV, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4921–4932, 2007     

Synthesis and sulfonation of poly(arylene ether)s containing tetraphenyl methane moieties

Novel poly(arylene ether)s with sulfonic acid containing pendent groups were successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic displacement of aromatic dihalides with bisphenols in an aprotic solvent in the presence of excess potassium carbonate followed by sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid. The sulfonation took place only at the controlled positions on the phenyl rings due to the novel bisphenol structures designed. The sulfonic acid group containing polymers were very soluble in common organic solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N′‐dimethylacetamide, and dimethylformamide, but swelled only slightly in water. These sulfonic acid group containing polymers were readily cast into tough and smooth films from organic solvents. The synthesized polymers had high glass‐transition temperatures of 171.0–240.7 °C and high molecular weights of 15,600–33,000 Da. These films could potentially be used as proton‐exchange membranes for fuel cells. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1779–1788, 2004     

Synthesis and properties of fluorine‐containing poly(aryl ether oxadiazole)s

Fluorine‐containing poly(aryl ether 1,3,4‐ozadiazole)s were synthesized by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of 2,5‐bis(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorophenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole and various bisphenols in the presence of potassium carbonate. The polymerizations were carried out at 30 °C in 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone to avoid the gelation caused by a crosslinking reaction at para and ortho carbons to the 1,3,4‐oxidiazole ring. The obtained polymers were all para‐connected linear structures. The obtained fluorine‐containing poly(aryl ether 1,3,4‐ozadiazole)s showed excellent solubility and afforded tough, transparent films by the solution‐casting method. They also exhibited a high glass transition temperature depending on the molecular structure, and the glass transition temperature could be controlled by the bisphenols in the range of 157–257 °C. They showed good thermal stability and excellent hydrophobicity due to the incorporation of the 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐1,4‐phenylene moiety. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2855–2866, 2007     

Synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ether nitrile)s by one‐step polycondensation of an AB2 monomer

Hyperbranched poly(ether nitrile)s were prepared from a novel AB₂ type monomer, 2‐chloro‐4‐(3,5‐dihydroxyphenoxy)benzonitrile, via nucleophilic aromatic substitution. Soluble and low‐viscous hyperbranched polymers with molecular weights upto 233,600 (M_w) were isolated. According to the ¹H NMR and GPC data, the unique polymerization behavior was observed, which implies that the weight average molecular weight increased after the number average molecular weight reached plateau region. Model compounds were prepared to characterize the branching structure. Spectroscopic measurements of the model compounds and the resulting polymers, such as ¹H, DEPT ¹³C NMR, and MS, strongly suggest that the ether exchange reaction and cyclization are involved in the propagation reaction. The side reactions would affect the unique polymerization behavior. The resulting polymers showed a good solubility in organic solvents similar to other hyperbranched aromatic polymers. The hydroxy‐terminated polymer was even soluble in basic water. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5835–5844, 2009