SYNTHESIS OF NEW LINEAR-POLYMERS CONTAINING THIOCARBONYL GROUPS - POLYADDITION OF DICARBOTHIOIC ACID TO DIOLEFINS

The polyaddition of 1,4-benzenedicarbothioic acid to 1,4-divinylbenzen e or 1,4-diisopropenylbenzene was carried out at 70-degrees-C in tolue ne under a nitrogen atmosphere by radical mode such as by addition of AIBN or UV irradiation. Both diolefin compounds gave polymers in a 90% yield. The polymer obtained from 1,4-diisopropenylbenzene was soluble in chloroform, and the molecular weight of the polymer (M(w)BAR) was 40000. On the other hand, the polymer obtained from 1,4-divinylbenzene was partly soluble in conventional organic solvents, possibly due to a cross linkage formation by a pendant vinyl group. The model addition reaction of thiobenzoic acid to styrene gave a by-product ca. 8% bein g the 1 : 2 adduct with respect to thiobenzoic acid and styrene. Alkal i hydrolysis of both polymers was investigated to confirm the cross li nkage structures in the polymers.