FUNCTIONALIZED POLYPHOSPHAZENES - POLYMERS WITH PENDENT TERTIARY TRIALKYLAMINO GROUPS

Attempts have been made to synthesize polyphosphazenes with pendent te rtiary amino side units via macromolecular substitution. Incorporation of -OCH2CH2N(CH3)(2), -OCH2CH2OCH2CH2N(CH3)(2), and -NHCH2CH2N(CH3)(2 ) groups was studied. Polymers in which all the side groups consisted of one type of aliphatic tertiary amino-containing unit and species th at also contained 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy or phenoxy groups as cosubstit uents were examined. Related phosphazene cyclic trimers were also prep ared as small molecule model systems to examine synthetic variables, c haracterization techniques, and hydrolytic behavior. Those phosphazene s in which the tertiary amino-containing side groups are linked to the skeleton through an aliphatic oxygen-phosphorus bond are sensitive to hydrolysis induced by the basicity of the terminal amino group. Howev er, species in which the tertiary amino-containing units are linked to the backbone through an alkyl nitrogen-phosphorus bond are stable to water and are candidate materials for use in a range of membrane and s urface applications. Small molecule model studies also identified reac tions of P-Cl bonds in (NPCl2)(3) with N,N-dimethylbutylamine to form dialkylamino-substituted phosphazenes and hydrolysis products.