Polyether monomers

Part I of this series explored the structure-property relationships of tetramethylene terephthalate/polyether terephthalate copolymers as a function of variations in the chemical structure, molecular weight, and concentration of the polyether units (10). Of the polyether monomers tested, poly (tetramethylene ether) glycol of molecular weight approximately 1000 was found to provide copolymers having the best overall combination of physical properties and ease of synthesis. 

Although most vinyl and acrylic monomers will undergo any of the above t)rpcs of initiation, some of the polyether monomers can only be polymerised when ionic initiation techniques are used. 

Propylene oxide and other epoxides polymerize by ring opening to form polyether stmctures. Either the methine, CH—O, or the methylene, CH2—O, bonds ate broken in this reaction. If the epoxide is unsymmetrical (as is PO) then three regioisomers are possible head-to-tad (H—T), head-to-head (H—H), and tad-to-tad (T—T) dyads, ie, two monomer units shown as a sequence. The anionic and... 

Liquid organic rubbers with reactive functionality can be prepared by several methods. End-functional oligomers are preferred. Chains attached to the network at only one end do not contribute as much strength to the network as those attached at both ends [34], Urethane chemistry is a handy route to such molecules. A hydroxy-terminated oligomer (commonly a polyester or a polyether) can be reacted with excess diisocyanate, and then with a hydroxy methacrylate to form a reactive toughener [35]. The methacrylate ends undergo copolymerization with the rest of the acrylic monomers. The resulting adhesive is especially effective on poIy(vinyl chloride) shown in Scheme 2. 

Recently, the above mentioned model reaction has been extended to polycondensation reactions for synthesis of polyethers and polysulfides [7,81]. In recent reports crown ether catalysts have mostly been used in the reaction of a bifunctional nucleophile with a bifunctional electrophile, as well as in the monomer species carrying both types of functional groups [7]. Table 5 describes the syntheses of aromatic polyethers by the nucleophilic displacement polymerization using PTC. 

Polyether sulfones could also be prepared using one monomer ... 

Kunitake, Yamaguchi and Aso149 studied the copolymerization of 2-furaldehyde with olefins and vinyl ethers using BF3 Et20 in methylene chloride or toluene at —78 °C. No copolymers were obtained with olefins, but p-tolyl vinyl ether or 2,3-dihydropyran gave polyethers. With the former co-monomer the values of the reactivity ratios were rx = 0.15 0.15 and r2 = 0.25 0.05 (Mj = 2-furaldehyde). 

The synthesis of polyether quinoxaline by nucleophilic displacement discussed in Section 5.4.2.2 has also been used for the preparation of hyperbranched polyquinoxaline based on AB2 or A2B monomers. In the AB2 monomer the focal point is a single fluoro group (Fig. 5.42)172 in the A2B the focal point is a single... 

Other coupling reactions were also employed to prepare poly(arylene etherjs. Polymerization of bis(aryloxy) monomers was demonstrated to occur in the presence of an Fe(III) chloride catalyst via a cation radical mechanism (Scholl reaction).134 This reaction also involves carbon-carbon bond formation and has been used to prepare soluble poly(ether sulfone)s, poly(ether ketone)s, and aromatic polyethers. 

Initiation resulting from insertion of the monomer into the Al—Cl bond is followed by propagation involving insertion between the porphinato-aluminum and the alkoxide group of the growing polymer, coupled with P-scission of the C—O bond of the oxirane monomer (demonstrated by nmr results) it yields a polyether terminated by a CH2C1 end-group. 

Over the past decade, literally dozens of new AB2-type monomers have been reported leading to an enormously diverse array of hyperbranched structures. Some general types include poly(phenylenes) obtained by Suzuki-coupling [54, 55], poly(phenylacetylenes prepared by Heck-reaction [58], polycarbosilanes, polycarbosiloxanes [59], and polysiloxysilanes by hydrosilylation [60], poly(ether ketones) by nucleophilic aromatic substitution [61] and polyesters [62] or polyethers by polycondensations [63] or by ring opening [64]. 

The usefulness of the PTP concept was further demonstrated by Frechet et al. [30] in a study where hyperbranched aliphatic polyethers were synthesized from a diepoxide and a tri-functional alcohol, utilizing an A2-B3 monomer concept. 

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