Synthesis of polyphosphates by the polyaddition of bisphenol-S diglycidyl ether and aryl phosphorodichloridates

In this study, we synthesized polyphosphates with reactive pendant chloromethyl groups by an addition reaction of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-S (bisphenol-S epoxy, BPSE) with aryl phosphorodichloridates. The polyphosphates obtained were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR spectra, elemental analysis, TGA, DSC, X-ray diffraction, and molar mass measurement. The polyaddition proceeded very smoothly in aromatic solvents catalyzed by quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts such as tetrabutylammonium bromide and tetrabutylphosphonium bromide to produce a polymer having a high molecular weight. Polymer B, containing a bromine atom in the phenyl ring side chain, has the higher T_g value (T_g = 58°C) than the polyphosphate derived from phenoxy dichlorophosphate (PDCP). Polymer A derived from PDCP begins to lose 10% of its mass at 278°C, and the mass percentage remaining at 700°C is 44% under nitrogen. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all the subsequent polyphosphates are amorphous. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2365–2369, 1997