Arylene ether/imide copolymers

Arylene ether/imide copolymers were prepared by the reaction of various amounts 4,4 -carbonylbis[Ar-(4 -hydroxyphenyl)phthalimide] and 4,4 -biphenoi with a stoichiometric portion of 4,4 -dichlorodiphenyl sulfone in the presence of potassium carbonate in NMP/CHP [55]. To obtain high molecular weight polymer, the temperature of the reaction was kept below 155 °C for several hours before heating to >155°C in an attempt to avoid undesirable side reactions such as opening of the imide ring. The imide ring is not stable to conditions of normal aromatic nucleophilic polymerizations unless extreme care is exercised to remove water. Special conditions must be used to avoid hydrolysis of the imide as previously mentioned in the section on Other PAE Containing Heterocyclic Units and as practiced in the synthesis of Ultem mentioned in the Historical Perspective section. 

Arylene ether/imide block copolymers were prepared as depicted in Eq. (15) from the reaction of amine terminated arylene ether oligomers with theoretical molecular weights of 3110 and 6545g/mol with anhydride terminated amide... 

Mecham, J.B. (2001) Direct polymerization of snlfonated poly (arylene ether) random copolymers and poly(imide) sulfonated poly(arylene ether) segmented copolymers new candidates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell material systems. Ph.D. Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 

Bourgeois et al. reported a new approach227 wherein poly(arylene ether sulfone) and poly(arylene ether ketone) were functionalized with anhydride and amine chain ends, respectively, to afford imide-linked copolymers. 

Hedrick et al. reported imide aryl ether ketone segmented block copolymers.228 The block copolymers were prepared via a two-step process. Both a bisphenol-A-based amorphous block and a semicrystalline block were prepared from a soluble and amorphous ketimine precursor. The blocks of poly(arylene ether ether ketone) oligomers with Mn range of 6000-12,000 g/mol were coreacted with 4,4,-oxydianiline (ODA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) diethyl ester diacyl chloride in NMP in the presence of A - me thy 1 morphi 1 i nc. Clear films with high moduli by solution casting and followed by curing were obtained. Multiphase morphologies were observed in both cases. 

Hedrick JC, Arnold CA, Zumbrum MA, Ward TC, McGrath JE (1990) Poly(arylene ether ketone)/poly(aryl imide) homo- and polydimethylsiloxane segmented copolymer blends influence of chemical structure on miscibility and physical property behavior. 35th International SAMPE Symposium, pp 82-96... 

Mecham, J.B., Wang, F., Glass, T.E., Xu, J., Wilkes, G.L., McGrath, J.E. (2001) Sulfonated poly(arylene ether)-h-poly(imide) segmented copolymers. In Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 221, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, p. U367. 

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