NEW POLYMER SYNTHESES. XIII. SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL POLYKETONES VIA FRIEDEL-CRAFTS REACTION AND BASED ON DIARYLIDENE DERIVATIVES

ABSTRACT

An interesting new class of polyketones based on diarylidene derivatives were synthesized by Friedel-Crafts reaction of 2,7-dibenzylidenecycloheptanone (I) and dibenzylideneacetone (II) monomers, with different diacid chlorids including: isophthalic, terephthalic, 3,3′-azodibenzoic, 4,4′-azodibenzoic, biphenic, adipic, sebacic and oxalic diacids in dry dichloromethane solvent and AlCl₃ catalyst. The model compounds were synthesized by reacting I and II with benzoyl chloride and characterized by ¹H-NMR, IR and elemental analyses. The polyketones were insoluble in most organic solvents but dissolved easily in concentrated sulfuric acid. The thermal properties of these polymers were evaluated and correlated to their structural units by TGA, DTG measurements and had inherent viscosity up to 0.36–0.84 dI/g. The crystallinity of some polymers were tested by X-ray analysis. The electronic spectra of selected examples were measured in DMSO solution and the morphological properties were detected by SEM.     

Palladium‐Promoted Carbon Monoxide/Ethylene/Styrene Terpolymerization Reaction: Throwing Light on the Different Reactivity of the Two Alkenes

The catalytic behavior of dicationic bis‐chelated Pd^II complexes, [Pd(N? N)₂][PF₆]₂, in the CO/ethylene/styrene terpolymerization reaction is studied in detail. The bidentate N‐donor ligands were chosen among 2,2′‐bipyridine ( 1 ), 1,10‐phenanthroline ( 3 ), their symmetrically substituted derivatives 2, 4 , and 5 , and 3‐alkyl‐substituted 1,10‐phenanthrolines 6 – 10 . The effect of several parameters (like temperature, CO/ethylene pressure, styrene content, reaction time) was investigated and related to the productivity of the catalytic system, to the relative content of the two olefins in the polymeric chains, and to the molecular mass of the synthesized polyketones. The presence of 1,4‐benzoquinone was necessary to reach productivities as high as 16 kg of terpolymer (TP) per gram of Pd. ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy was useful to characterize the distribution of the two repetitive units along the polymer chain. Terpolymers with prevailingly isolated CO/styrene units in CO/ethylene blocks as well as terpolymers with CO/styrene and CO/ethylene blocks were obtained by varying the reaction conditions. Detailed MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis was performed on the CO/ethylene/styrene terpolymers for the first time, and it allowed us to characterize the end groups of the terpolymer chains. The presence of different chain end groups was found to be related to the initial amount of the two alkenes, thus suggesting that different reactions are involved in the initiation and termination steps of the terpolymerization catalytic cycle.     

New polymer syntheses XII. Polyketones based on diarylidenecycloalkanones

Two new series of polyketones containing diarylidene links was synthesized by the Friedel-Crafts polymerization of diarylidenecyclopentanone or diarylidenecyclohexanone with aromatic diacid chlorides, azodibenzoyl chlorides, or aliphatic diacid chlorides. The resulting polymers had inherent viscosities in the range 0.76-1.18 dl/g and showed poor solubilities to common organic solvents excepts strong acids. The thermal stabilities of these polymers were evaluated and correlated to their structural units by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), DTG and DSC measurements. The TGA data revealed 10% weight losses at 190-300 °C. Moreover, the crystallinity of some polymers were tested by X-ray analyses and the UV-visible spectra showed characteristic absorption bands in the range 240-350 nm.     

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of polyketones

Polyketone resins have been prepared by the Friedel-Crafts polymerization of dithiophenylidenecyclopentanone (Ⅰ), dithiophenylidenecyclohexanone (Ⅱ) and dithiophenylideneacetone (Ⅲ) with adipoyl, sebacoyl and terephthaloyl dichlorides using boron trifluoride as catalyst and carbon disulphide as solvent. Polymers were characterized with IR, 1 H-NMR, and the results showed the presence of carbonyl of ketonic groups in the main chain. The polyketones have inherent viscosities of 0.40-0.70 dL/g. All the polymers are semicrystalline and most of them are partially soluble in most common organic solvents but freely soluble in aprotic solvents. The temperatures of 50% weight loss are as high as 185℃ to 280℃ in air, indicating that these aromatic polyketones have excellent thermal stability. All the polyketones were tested for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi.     

A general approach toward Janus diones: synthesis of dicyclopenta[b,g]naphthalene-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone

A general approach toward Janus diones involving the reaction of pyromellitic or naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydrides with ethyl(triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate and subsequent rearrangement of the products is described. This approach allows avoiding the formation of poorly soluble intermediates, in which purity cannot be effectively controlled. Dicyclopenta[b,g]naphthalene-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone 3, a promising precursor of molecular and polymeric advanced materials is described.     

Ketonization of a nitrile-butadiene rubber by nitrous oxide: Comparison with the ketonization of other type diene rubbers

Noncatalytic ketonization of a nitrile-butadiene rubber (21 mol% acrylonitrile units) by nitrous oxide was shown to yield polymeric products functionalized with carbonyl (mainly ketone) groups. The reaction was conducted in a benzene solvent at 180-230° and pressure of 3-6 MPa. An assumed ketonization mechanism includes a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N₂O to CC bonds in butadiene units.According to the NMR and GPC data, the main route of the reaction (ca. 85%) proceeds without cleavage of the CC bonds and yields ketone groups in the polymer backbone. The minor route (ca. 15%) includes the cleavage of CC bonds resulting in fragmentation of the macromolecules that leads to a decrease in their molecular weight. The nitrile (-CN) groups remain untouched. The resulting product is a bifunctional low-molecular rubber containing, in addition to originally present nitrile groups, a regulated amount of new ketone groups randomly distributed along the polymer backbone.The results for nitrile-butadiene rubber are compared with the earlier studied ketonization of butadiene and isoprene rubbers. The molecular structure of monomeric units was shown to be an important characteristic of a parent rubber affecting the reaction rate, degree of fragmentation, and consistency (rubber-like, plastic, or liquid) of the resulting material.     

Fluorene-containing block sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) as proton-exchange membrane for PEM fuel cell application

A series of sulfonated block poly(ether ether ketone)s with different sulfonic acid group clusters were successfully synthesized by nucleophilic displacement condensation. Membranes were accordingly cast from their DMSO solutions, and fully characterized by determining the ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, proton conductivity, dimensional stabilities and mechanical properties. The experimental results showed that the main properties of the membrane can be tailored by changing the cluster size of sulfonic acid groups. The membrane of block-7c(40) has good mechanical, oxidative and dimensional stabilities together with high proton conductivity (5.09 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹) at 80 °C under 100% relative humidity. The membranes also possess excellent thermal and dimensional stabilities. These polymers are potential and promising proton conducting membrane material for PEM full cell applications.