Preparation of hyperbranched macromolecules with aryl fluoride and phenol terminal functionalities using new monomers and Cs2CO3 or Mg(OH)2 as the condensation agent

New A₂B monomers were synthesized for preparation of hyperbranched aryl ether sulfone macromolecules with aryl fluoride and phenol terminal functionalities. The macromolecules, which possess high thermal stability, were prepared using the divergent approach. A masked phenol with two aryl fluoride groups and a bisphenol with an aryl fluoride group were the monomers used to synthesize these polymers. In both cases, the aryl fluoride group is activated by a sulfone moiety. The synthetic method used for the preparation of the hyperbranched macromolecules gave a fast reaction and a high yield. These methods include, e.g., the use of Cs₂CO₃ and Mg(OH)₂ to generate the phenolate ion in situ. Use of the latter results in the formation of insoluble magnesium fluoride. The best conditions for the reaction utilized the more active nucleophilic polycondensation agent, Cs₂CO₃, and an aryl carbonate as a masked phenol. NMR, SEC, and MALDI-TOF-MS were used to characterize the samples. MALDI-TOF-MS allowed us to identify the different oligomeric species present, and it also indicated that an internal cyclization competes with the polymerization. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2015–2033, 1997