Chemical modification of poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) via phase transfer catalysis

摘要

AbstractThe chemical modification of poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide) (PPO) has been performed under phase transfer catalyzed (PTC) conditions. Four types of reactions: Williamson etherification, cyanide displacement, esterification, and heterocyclic group transfer have been identified as positive reactions involving the nucleophilic displacement on PPO. In reaction with alcohols, under PTC conditions, functional yields as high as 100 were obtained while for the esterification reaction functional yields of 92 were reached. Low conversions were found in reactions with cyanides and heterocylic compounds. Possible interactions of the reactive sites leading to additional crosslinking are being suggested. Minor changes in thermal stability of substituted PPO compared with the parent polymer were recorded. The modification of their permeation properties to gases was attributed to changes in polymer chain mobility and packing as well as to changes in polymer side chain pol