Chloromethylated aromatic polymers

The six-position may be functionalized by electrophilic aromatic substitution. Either bromination (Br2/CH2Cl2/-5°) acetylation (acetyl chloride, aluminum chloride, nitrobenzene) " or chloromethylation (chloromethyl methyl ether, stannic chloride, -60°) " affords the 6,6 -disubstituted product. It should also be noted that treatment of the acetyl derivative with KOBr in THF affords the carboxylic acid in 84% yield. The brominated crown may then be metallated (n-BuLi) and treated with an electrophile to form a chain-extender. To this end, Cram has utilized both ethylene oxide " and dichlorodimethyl-silane in the conversion of bis-binaphthyl crowns into polymer-bound resolving agents. The acetylation/oxidation sequence is illustrated in Eq. (3.54). 

A useful application in the manufacture of ion-exchange resins may well be possible which avoids the use of carcinogenic chloromethyl ether. Here, a polymer of p-methyl styrene is chlorinated on the side chain with aqueous NaOCl and a phase-transfer catalyst. Sasson et al. (1986) have shown how stubborn . substituted aromatics like nitro/chlorotoluenes can be oxidized to the corresponding acids by using aqueous NaOCl containing Ru based catalyst. 

The principles needed to design a polymer of low flammability are reasonably well understood and have been systematized by Van Krevelen (5). A number of methods have been found for modifying the structure of an inherently flammable polymer to make it respond better to conventional flame retardant systems. For example, extensive work by Pearce et al. at Polytechnic (38, 39) has demonstrated that incorporation of certain ring systems such as phthalide or fluorenone structures into a polymer can greatly increase char and thus flame resistance. Pearce, et al. also showed that increased char formation from polystyrene could be achieved by the introduction of chloromethyl groups on the aromatic rings, along with the addition of antimony oxide or zinc oxide to provide a latent Friedel-Crafts catalyst. 

Aromatic electrophilic substitution is used commercially to produce styrene polymers with ion-exchange properties by the incorporation of sulfonic acid or quaternary ammonium groups [Brydson, 1999 Lucas et al., 1980 Miller et al., 1963]. Crosslinked styrene-divinyl-benzene copolymers are used as the starting polymer to obtain insoluble final products, usually in the form of beads and also membranes. The use of polystyrene itself would yield soluble ion-exchange products. An anion-exchange product is obtained by chloromethylation followed by reaction with a tertiary amine (Eq. 9-38) while sulfonation yields a cation-exchange product (Eq. 9-39) ... 

The solid support is a special polystyrene bead in which some of the aromatic rings have chloromethyl groups. This polymer, often called the Merrifield resin, is made by copolymerizing styrene with a few percent of p-(chloromethyl)styrene. 

A spirothietane sulfone-oxetane is a comonomer in the preparation of polyethers. A polymer obtained from this sulfone in a solution of bis(3,3-chloromethyl) oxetane with phosphorus pentafluoride can be spun to drawable filaments. Thietane sulfone spirocyclic carbonates may be polymerized via the carbonate group to high-molecular-weight solids said to be useful in laminating. Thietane 1,1-dioxide improves the dye receptivity of poly (acrylonitrile), viscose, cellulose acetate, and poly(vinyl chloride). It is also reported to be a stabilizer for nitric acid in oxidizer mixtures for rocket motors. 2-Methylthietane 1,1-dioxide is claimed to be superior to sulfolane (thiolane 1,1-dioxide) in the liquid extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from mixtures with saturated hydrocarbons. " A number of bis(3,3-alkoxy) thietane 1,1-dioxides have been proposed as intermediates in the preparation of cyanine dyes useful as photographic sensitizers. " ... 

Positive interactions between cationic species, including protons, with aromatic structures comprise an intensively examined and already well-documented phenomenon [142, 143], In the hypercrosslinked polystyrene these interactions may well be enhanced by a possible presence of condensed aromatic systems. As was shown in Chapter 6, Section 4.4, anthracene-type structures may easily be formed by the condensation of two chloromethylated styrene repeating units, followed by a subsequent oxidation. However, the early elution of pure HCl in Fig. 12.1 does not imply any retentive interactions between protons and the polymer. The retention of HCl occurs only in the presence of a salt. But why would the properties of HCl in the polymeric phase change so dramatically in the presence of metal chlorides, while no association of HCl with LiCl or CaCl2 takes place in solution The version (i) of attractive interactions of protons with the polystyrene phase thus cannot be accepted without serious doubt. 

---