Single-monomer method hyperbranched polymer

Miller, Neenan, et al.129,301 reported a general single-pot method (Scheme 6.5) for the preparation of poly(arylether) hyperbranched macromolecules (14 a-d), that are functionally analogous to linear poly(arylether) engineering plastics.129-3 1 The hyperbranched polymers were generated from phenolic A2B-type monomers (15 a-d), that were converted to the corresponding sodium phenoxides (16 a-d NaH, THF) and subjected to polymerization. 

Our research interest in this field is based on the perception that these dendritic polymers could be useful as polymer-rheology control agents as well as spherical, multifunctional macromonomers. Hyperbranched polymers, which were not only thermally and chemically robust under the conditions used, but also could be economically obtained, were created to evaluate these concepts. The latter requirement led us to pursue the one-step polymerization of AB -type monomers. We will review mostly the synthesis of aromatic polymers with stable chemical linkages prepared by the single-step direct method, and we will briefly compare them with polymers made by more controlled multistep syntheses. 

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