Alkylated styrene ionomers with variable length spacers. I. Synthesis

Two analogous series of ionomer precursors based on 4-substituted styrene copolymers were prepared with substituents R = -(CH_2)nCO₂Me (n = 1, 5, 10), or R = -O(CH₂)_nCO₂Me (n = 1, 4, 10), and degrees of substitution from 10 to 15 mol%. The synthesis of the alkyl series compounds involved either chloromethylation of polystyrene or bromoalkylation via lithiation of a styrene-4-bromostyrene copolymer, followed by conversion to the nitriles. Methyl esters were then produced by reaction of the nitriles with methanol/HCl gas. The ether series compounds were obtained directly by reacting a styrene-4-hydroxystyrene copolymer with the methyl esters of the corresponding ω-bromoaliphatic carboxylic acids in a Williamson ether-type synthesis.