| Abstract: | A tetrahydrofuran (THF)‐containing network polymer was prepared by the radical suspension copolymerization of a styrene (St)‐type monomer with THF moiety, St, p‐chloromethylstyrene, and divinylbenzene in a biphasic medium consisting of water and monochlorobenzene in the presence of acacia gum as a suspension stabilizer. The diameters of the obtained polymer beads ranged from 100 to 200 μm. The obtained network polymer showed higher swelling abilities in various organic solvents than a similarly prepared network polymer without THF moiety, and it was stable under oxidative, reductive, and basic conditions. In its derivations to polystyrene‐based resins with thioether alcohol and hydroxyl moiety, remarkable accelerations of reactions were observed as a result of the introduction of THF moiety. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 800–806, 2001 |
