SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(ETHER KETONE) POLY(ETHER SULFONE) ALTERNATING AND SEQUENTIAL COPOLYMERS BY ELECTROPHILIC REACTIONS

The synthesis and NMR characterization of some poly(ether ketone)/poly (ether sulfone) (PEK/PES) alternating copolymers together with a serie s of sequential homopolymers containing CO, O, S and SO2, bridging gro ups, all obtained by electrophilic condensation reactions using phosph orus pentoxide/methanesulfonic acid as dehydrating agent, is here repo rted. Properties of such polymers are compared with those of their mod el compounds from which it can be inferred that both proton and carbon chemical shifts are very sensitive to the electronic environment gene rated by the O, S, CO and SO2 bridges. Differential scanning calorimet ry indicates that our polymers are essentially amorphous irrespective of the bridging sequence. From viscosity measurements the molecular we ights of these copolymers are judged to be very low.