Synthesis of polycarbosilanes by A2 + Bn (n = 2, 3, and 4) type hydrosilylation reaction and evaluation of their refractive index properties

Polycarbosilanes were synthesized by hydrosilylation reaction of A₂ monomer containing bis Si? H moieties and B_n (n = 2, 3, and 4) monomers containing di‐, tri‐, and tetra‐vinyl groups in the presence of Karstedt's catalyst. The corresponding linear polycarbosilanes (LPC) and hyperbranched polycarbosilanes (HBPC) having M_n 2200–51,500 were obtained in 34–94% yield, without any gel product. The values of refractive index (n_D) of the synthesized LPC and HBPC were in the range from 1.460 to 1.711, and were consistent with the structures of the synthesized products. In the case of HBPC, the values of n_D increased with increase of number‐average molecular weight (M_n), molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n), and glass transition temperature (T_g), apparently because of increased density due to the presence of microgels, that is, high refractive index hyperbranched carbosilanes could be synthesized by A₂ + B_n (n = 3 and 4) method. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Synthesis of rigid polymer containing pendant norbornadiene moieties and its photochemical valence isomerization

Polymers having pendant norbornadiene (NBD) moieties and rigid main chain were prepared from the reaction of partially brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) with a potassium carboxylate derivative of the corresponding NBD using a phase transfer catalyst in chlorobenzene. The photochemical valence isomerization of pendant NBD to quadricyclane (QC) moieties proceeded smoothly in the film state as well as polymer solution upon the irradiation by sunlight, xenon lamp, or high-pressure mercury lamp. The rate of isomerization was affected by the structure of main chain in the polymer and the substituent groups of NBD derivatives. The catalytic reversion of the resulting QC moiety to the original NBD proceeded smoothly in the solution with (5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-por-phine)cobalt(II) as the catalyst at room temperature; however, the reaction of NBD polymer containing poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) (PPO) showed lower reactivity than that of the corresponding low molecular weight QC compound. When the cycle between the photochemical valence isomerization of NBD moiety to quadricyclane (QC) moiety and thermal reversion of QC moiety to NBD moiety at 160°C was repeated, the NBD polymer synthesized from PPO degraded gradually, whereas NBD polymer prepared from poly(4-chloromethylstyrene) decomposed easily. Therefore, the rigid PPO structure showed high resistance for the degradation of NBD moiety. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photochemical property of the polymer-bearing pendant norbornadiene moiety and storage stability of the resulting quadricyclane group in the polymer

A polymer bearing pendant norbornadiene (NBD) moieties and a low molecular weight model compound ([2-carbobenzyloxy-3-phenyl-2,5-norbornadiene CBPNB)], were synthesized by substitution reaction of poly(p-chloromethylstyrene) and benzyl chloride, respectively, with the potassium salt of 3-phenyl-2,5-norbornadiene-2-carboxylic acid. Photochemical valence isomerization and storage stabilities of the resulting polymer having corresponding pendant quadricyclane (QC) groups and the low molecular weight QC compound were investigated in dichloromethane solution. It was found that the rate of photochemical valence isomerization of the pendant NBD moiety in the polymer was the same as or slightly higher than that of CBPNB, and the storage stability of the QC group in the polymer was higher than that of the QC compound resulting from CBPNB in the solution. The photochemical reaction of the pendant NBD moiety within the polymer without catalyst proceeded quantitatively in the film state. However, the photochemical reaction of the polymer films blended with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine cobalt (II) catalyst (Co-TPP) did not proceed quantitatively, and the degree of conversion of the pendant NBD moiety in the polymer decreased with increasing amounts of Co-TPP in the film. The QC group produced in the polymer by photo-irradiation had excellent storage stability in the film state without Co-TPP. On the other hand, the QC group in the polymer films blended with Co-TPP Catalyst reverted gradually to the NBD group at room temperature.     

Study of photopolymers. XVI. Novel syntheses of the polymers with azidonitrobenzoyl groups and their photochemical and thermochemical reactions

Poly-2-(2-azido-5-nitrobenzoyloxy)ethylmethacrylate (P-II-A) and poly-2-(4-azido-3-nitrobenzoyloxy)ethylmethacrylate (P-II-B) were synthesized from the reactions of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate with 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzoic acid and 4-chloro-3-nitrobenzoic acid, respectively, by substitution reactions of sodium azide with the corresponding chloronitrobenzoyl group. In addition, the degradation reaction of the 2-azido-5-nitrobenzoyl group in P-II-A and the transformation of the 4-azido-3-nitrobenzoyl group to 5-carboxylbenzofurazane-1-oxide ring in P-II-B by irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light or by heating were investigated in detail. In the photochemical reaction the reaction of the azide group in P-II-A was affected by the presence of a spacer in the polymer chain. Moreover, in the thermochemical reaction the rates of the reactions of azide groups in P-II-A and P-II-B were controlled by the facility of molecular motion and the conformation of polymer chains.     

Synthesis of multifunctional copolyamides with both cyclobutane ring and conjugated double bond in the main chain

Copolyamides 1,9 , and 10 containing both cyclobutane rings and conjugated double bonds in the main chain were synthesized by polycondensation of 1,3-di(4-piperidyl)propane (DPP) with β-truxinate (β-BNPT), with di(p-nitrophenyl) p-phenylenebis(acrylate) (p-NPDA), with di(p-nitrophenyl) p-phenylenebis (α-cyanoacrylate) (p-NPDC), and with di(p-nitrophenyl) p-phenylenebis (α-cyanobutadienecarboxylate) (p-NPDCB) in aprotic polar solvents at room temperature, respectively. Reduced viscosity of copolyamide 1 was strongly affected by the reaction process, the molar ratio of two ester monomers, and reaction time. The copolyamide 1 with the highest viscosity was prepared by the reaction of DPP with 70–50 mol % of β-BNPT for 24 h followed by the polycondensation of the resulting precursor with 30–50 mol % of p-NPDA for 24–96 h. Although copolyamide 9 with high viscosity was not obtained by the polycondensation with β-BNPT and p-NPDC, copolyamide 10 with relatively high viscosity was obtained by the reaction with β-BNPT and p-NPDCB under the same conditions applied for the synthesis of copolyamide 1 . The solubility of copolyamides 1,9 , and 10 decreased gradually with increasing p-NPDA, p-NPDC, and p-NPDCB units in the copolymers. Furthermore, it was found that copolyamides 1,9 , and 10 crosslinked upon irradiation with 313 or 365 nm light, and these copolyamides also decomposed upon irradiation with 254 nm light. That is, the photochemical property of these copolyamides can be controlled by the selection of wavelength of the photoirradiation.     

Synthesis of polyphosphonates containing pendant chloromethyl groups by the polyaddition of bis(oxetane)s with phosphonic dichlorides

The polyaddition of 4,4′‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxy]biphenyl (4,4′‐BEOBP) and phenylphosphonic dichloride (PPDC) with quaternary onium salts as catalysts proceeded under mild reaction conditions to afford a polymer containing phosphorous atoms in its main chain. A polyphosphonate with a high number‐average molecular weight (10,300) was obtained by the reaction of 4,4′‐BEOBP and PPDC in the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride (TPPC) in o‐dichlorobenzene at 130 °C for 24 h. The structure of the resulting polymer was confirmed with IR, ¹H NMR, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, it was proved that the polyaddition of certain bis(oxetane)s with phosphonic dichlorides proceeded smoothly to give corresponding polyphosphonates with TPPC as the catalyst. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3835–3846, 2002     

Catalytic reactions of oxetanes with protonic reagents and aprotic reagents leading to novel polymers

This paper reports new addition reactions of oxetanes with certain protonic reagents such as carboxylic acid, phenol, and thiol, and with certain aprotic reagents such as acyl chloride, thioester, phosphonyl dichloride, silyl chloride, and chloroformate using quaternary onium salts as catalysts. The kinetic study of the addition reactions of oxetanes was also investigated. These new addition reactions were applicable to the synthesis of new polymers. These polyaddition systems could also construct both polymer main chains and reactive side chains. The alternating copolymerization of oxetanes with carboxylic anhydride was performed. Furthermore, it was found that anionic ring‐opening polymerization of oxetanes containing hydroxy groups proceeded to afford the hyperbranched polymer (HBP) with an oxetanyl group and many hydroxy groups at the ends of the polymer chains. Alkali developable photofunctional HBPs were synthesized by the polyaddition of bis(oxetane)s or tris(oxetane)s, and their patterning properties were examined, too. The photo‐induced cationic polymerization of the polymers with pendant oxetanyl groups and the thermal curing reactions of polyfunctional oxetanes (oxetane resins) were also examined to give the crosslinking materials quantitatively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 709–726, 2007     

Degradation of dehydrochlorinated poly(epichlorohydrin) using photo-generated cationic catalysts

The photochemical reaction of polymer containing vinyloxy group (P-1), which was prepared from treating poly(epichlorohydrin) with base using a phase transfer catalyst, was investigated in the presence of a photo-generated cationic catalyst (PGCC). When the polymer with PGCC was irradiated, the vinyloxy group in the polymer disappeared rapidly. The rate of disappearance of the vinyloxy group in P-1 was strongly influenced by its content in the polymer and the kind of PGCC. P-1, containing about 65 mol% of vinyloxy group, had the highest photochemical reactivity, and PGCC with PF₆^? and SbF₆^? as counterions showed higher catalytic activity than those with BF₄^? The photochemical reaction of P-1 involved a number of reactions such as degradation, rearrangement, and crosslinking reaction competitively; however, P-1 with less vinyloxy group than 60 mol% degraded preferentially. These results suggested that P-1 is an excellent photodegradating polymer using PGCC. The thermal degradation of P-1 was also investigated.     

Synthesis of functional polymers bearing cyclic carbonate groups from (2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl) methyl vinyl ether

(2-Oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl) methyl vinyl ether (OVE) was synthesized with high yield by addition reaction of glycidyl vinyl ether with carbon dioxide using tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as a catalyst. OVE was also prepared by reaction with β-butyrolactone or sodium hydrogencarbonate in the presence of TBAB as the catalyst. Poly [(2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl) methyl vinyl ether] [P(OVE)] was obtained with high yield by cationic polymerization of OVE catalyzed using boron trifluoride diethyl ether complex in dichloromethane. Polymers bearing pendant 5-membered cyclic carbonate groups were also prepared by radical copolymerization of OVE with some electron-accepting monomers. Furthermore, addition reaction of P(OVE) with alkyl amines yielded the corresponding polymer having pendant 2-hydroxyethyl carbamate residue with high conversions. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of star polymer by atom transfer radical polymerization with resorcinol‐core multifunctional initiator: The construction of nanocapsule via hydrolysis and olefin metathesis reaction of the obtained star polymer

Olefin group‐carrying styrene, 1‐but‐3‐enyl‐4‐vinylbenznene (BVB), was polymerized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated from C‐methylcalix [4]resorcinarene‐based multifunctional initiator (CRA‐bib) at low conversion to produce star polymer [poly(BVB)] with narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.35). The copolymerization of styrene (St) with poly(BVB) (M_n = 11,000, M_w/M_n = 1.23) as a macroinitiator afforded star block copolymer [poly(BVB‐b‐St)] with M_n = 35,000 and M_w/M_n = 1.44. The BVB layer of poly(BVB‐b‐St), located between the St shell and the CRA core, was crosslinked by olefin metathesis reaction of olefin groups o the BVB moieties. The removal of the CRA core of the crosslinked poly(BVB‐b‐St) by hydrolysis using KOH as a base gave polymeric hollow sphere [poly(cored crossBVB‐b‐St)] with good solubility in organic solvents. The morphological structure of the poly(cored crossBVB‐b‐St) showed spherical aggregates in THF by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the nanocapsule structure of poly(cored crossBVB‐b‐St) with hollow spheres was found to be observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4879–4888, 2008