A novel process for synthesizing polystyrene and polyarylate block copolymers utilizing telechelic polystyrene

✍ Scribed by Hiroshi Ohishi; Takamasa Ohwaki; Toshio Nishi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 254 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-624X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0518(19981130)36:16<2839::aid-pola2>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

A novel process for synthesizing polystyrene (PS) and polyarylate (PAr) block copolymers utilizing telechelic polystyrene was proposed. This process was comprised of three steps. In the first step, carboxyl-terminated telechelic polystyrene (COOHOPSOCOOH) was prepared by free radical polymerization with 4,4Ј-azobis(cyanovalelic acid) (ACVA). In the second step, COOHOPSOCOOH was reacted with bisphenol-A by the use of triphenylphosphine, hexachloroethane, and triethylamine to convert carboxyl groups into phenol groups (OHOPSOOH). In the third step, to produce the PSOPAr block copolymer, OHOPSOOH was added to a polyarylate synthesizing system where bisphenol-A and the mixture of tere/isophthaloyl dichloride (1 : 1 mole ratio) were polymerized by solution polycondensation. PSOPAr block copolymers were successively obtained with relatively high PS copolymerization ratio. The ratio was over 70%, while there was a wide variety in molecular composition and molecular weight. Furthermore, by this process PSOPAr block copolymers can be obtained from step 1 through step 3 consecutively without isolating the intermediates. This method has potential for industrial applications.