Ethynyl-terminated oligomers, thermal

The ethynyl terminated imide oligomers are very attractive because their cured polymers are thermally stable (131). However, improvements are required in processability. An interesting approach to this problem was the synthesis and use of ethynyl-terminated isoimide (132). If the cyclodehydration of the amide acid intermediate is performed chemically with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, isoimide is formed in almost quantitative yield. (Fig. 46). It is claimed that the isoimide provides better flow and solubility compared with the corresponding imide. At elevated temperatures, during cure, the isoimide rearranges into the... 

The most successful class of thermally reactive oligomers consists of the functional polymers containing either pendant or terminal triple bonds, especially ethynyl groups. This area of research was recently reviewed (2), and the more recent developments in the field of a,w-bis(ethynylpheny1) aromatic polyether sulfones were summarized in two recent papers (5,6). 

---