Polyphosphazenes preparation

TABLE 1. Physical properties of selected polyphosphazenes prepared according to the current invention. 

At the present time, only a few side-chain liquid crystal polyphosphazenes have been synthesized and investigated. Opportunities exist to prepare a wide variety of side-chain liquid crystalline polyphosphazenes, based on the polymerization-substitution process outlined in Figure 2. Alternative approaches, such as side chain modification of polyphosphazenes prepared by the thermal decomposition of N-silylphosphoranimines (19), may provide even further options for preparing liquid crystal polyphosphazenes. 

Routes to prepare substituted polymer directly were pioneered with the polymerization of /V-trimethy1si1y1phosphoranamines to form low to moderate molecular weight polyphosphazenes (6) where R is alkyl or aryl (8). 

Process III Preparation of Polyphosphazenes by Ring Opening Polymerization Processes of Substituted or Partially Substituted Cyclophosphazenes... 

To conclude this synthetic section, it appears very clear that the experimental approaches for preparation of POPs are very numerous and give accessibility to phosphazene polymers and copolymers with different structures and properties. Moreover, it has been recently estimated [10,383] that the total number of polyphosphazenes reported up to now in the literature is about 700, and that these materials can find potential practical application as flame- and fire-resistant polymers [44,283, 384-388] and additives [389, 390] thermally stable macromolecules [391] chemically inert compounds [392] low temper-... 

Aryloxyphosphazene copolymers can also confer fireproof properties to flammable materials when blended. Dieck [591] have used the copolymers III, and IV containing small amounts of reactive unsaturated groups to prepare blends with compatible organic polymers crosslinkable by the same mechanism which crosslinks the polyphosphazene, e.g. ethylene-propylene and butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymers, poly(vinyl chloride), unsaturated urethane rubber. These blends were used to prepare foams exhibiting excellent fire retardance and producing low smoke levels or no smoke when heated in an open flame. Oxygen index values of 27-56 were obtained. 

Gel electrolytes were also prepared by Allcock [605] from co-substituted polyphosphazenes with various ratios of methoxyethoxyethoxy and trifluo-roethoxy side groups, lithium triflate and propylene carbonate. These gel electrolyte systems have a better mechanical stability than MEEP. The highest ionic conductivity obtained was 7.7x10" S cm" at 25 °C for a gel containing 37.5% of polymer with 80% and 20% of methoxyethoxyethoxy and trifluoro ethoxy... 

A chemical cross-hnking of MEEP was obtained by Shriver [606] by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) dialkoxide, which also forms polymer salt complexes. The cross-linked polymers were prepared by substituting a part (1 and 10 mole%) of the methoxyethoxyethoxy ethanol by PEG in the synthesis of MEEP. Contrary to the MEEP, the amorphous polymers obtained do not flow and are stable even at 140 °C. The maximum ionic conductivity at 30 °C, obtained after complexation with liSOjCFj, are 4.1x10" S cm for MEEP/PEG 1% complexed with 6.4 wt% salt and 3x10" S cm for MEEP/PEG 10% com-plexed with 8.9 wt% salt. These values are comparable with those obtained with the parent hnear polyphosphazenes. 

Three other MEEP-type polyphosphazenes were synthesized by Allcock [622]. Polymers XIII and XIV were prepared via the cationic living polymerization of phosphoranimines, and polymers XV by ring opening polymerization. 

These discoveries generated a lot of effort over the successive 25 years in the preparation of especially designed drug delivery systems for the controlled release of radioactive progesterone [654], colchicine [656], naproxen [657,673, 674], mitomycin C [675-677], inulin [678], trimethoprin [657], succinylsul-fathiazole [657], ethacrynic acid [653], and steroids [633], regardless of whether these drugs are physically trapped in polyphosphazene matrices, or chemically bonded to the polymer skeleton. 

The first bioerodible polyphosphazenes synthesized possessed amino acid ester side groups (25). The structure and preparation of one example is shown in Scheme V. The ethyl glycinato derivative shown... 

The thermal polymerization of N-trimethylsilylphosphoranimines 2215 to 2216 with elimination of CF3CH20SiMe3 2217 is the prototype for formation of inorganic polymers [5, 23, 24]. Polyphosphazene 2216 is also prepared from bromodimethyl(tri-... 

Allcock s discovery that stable polyphosphazenes could be prepared under controlled conditions opened the door for the commercial development of this class of polymers, and In 1970, the first polyphosphazene elastomers were synthesized and the technology subsequently developed by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (5). Today, polyphosphazenes are commercially available, and represent... 

The conventional route to prepare I generally involves a high temperature melt polymerization of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene, or trimer (IV). Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of various acids and organometalllcs as catalysts for the polymerization of IV (8). Alternate routes for the preparation of chloro-polymer which do not involve the ring opening polymerization of trimer have been reported in the patent literature (9. 10). These routes involve a condensation polymerization process and may prove to be of technological importance for the preparation of low to moderate molecular weight polyphosphazenes. 

The true value of the chloropolymer (I) lies in its use as an intermediate for the synthesis of a wide variety of polytorgano-phosphazenes) as shown in Figure 1. The nature and size of the substituent attached to the phosphorus plays a dominant roll in determining the properties of the polyphosphazene. Homopolymers prepared from I, in which the R groups are the same or, if different, similar in molecular size, tend to be semi-crystalline thermoplastics. If two or more different substituents are introduced, the resulting polymers are generally amorphous elastomers. (See Figure 1.)... 

Apart from the ability of PBPP to undergo electroxidation, this polymer is significantly different from previously reported polyphosphazenes, both in preparation and in properties. Although a complete picture of the chemistry of this polymer has yet to emerge, our current progress will be reviewed in the present article. 

Many polymers have been studied for their usefulness in producing pharmacologically active complexes with proteins or drugs. Synthetic and natural polymers such as polysaccharides, poly(L-lysine) and other poly(amino acids), poly(vinyl alcohols), polyvinylpyrrolidinones, poly(acrylic acid) derivatives, various polyurethanes, and polyphosphazenes have been coupled to with a diversity of substances to explore their properties (Duncan and Kopecek, 1984 Braatz et al., 1993). Copolymer preparations of two monomers also have been tried (Nathan et al., 1993). 

It should be noted that inorganic rings play a crucial role as monomers for the preparation of both polysiloxanes and polyphosphazenes and they are also utilised for making polysilanes. Inorganic rings have also been used as key precursors to several other inorganic polymer systems [e.g. poly(sulfur nitride) and polythionylphosphazenes]. 

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