POLY(ARYLENE ETHER)S, POLY(ARYLENE THIOETHER)S, AND POLY(ARYLENE SULFONE)S DERIVED FROM A DIHYDROXY(IMIDOARYLENE) MONOMER

Novel poly(arylene ether)s, poly(arylene thioether)s, and poly(arylene sulfone)s were synthesized from the dihydroxy(imidoarylene) monomer 1 . The syntheses of poly(arylene ether)s were carried out in DMAc in th e presence of anhydrous K2CO3 by a nucleophilic substitution reaction between the bisphenol and activated difluoro compounds. Poly(arylene t hioether)s were synthesized according to the recently discovered one-p ot polymerization reaction between a bis(N,N'-dimethyl-S-carbamate) an d activated difluoro compounds in the presence of a mixture of Cs2CO3 and CaCO3. The bis (N,N'-dimethyl-S-carbamate) 3 was synthesized by th e thermal rearrangement reaction of bis(N,N'-dimethylthiocarbamate) 2, which was synthesized from 1 by a phase-transfer catalyzed reaction. The poly(arylene thioether)s were further oxidized to form poly(arylen e sulfone)s, which would be very difficult, if not impossible, to synt hesize by other methods. All of the polymers described have extremely high T(g)s and thermal stability as determined from DSC and TGA analys is. Poly(arylene sulfone)s have the highest T(g)s and they are in the range of 298-361 degrees C. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.