Phase Transfer Catalysis in Polycondensation Processes XVIII. Thermal properties and molecular simulation of some polyethers containing oxetane ringsin the main chain

A study was made of the influence of the chemical structure of the chains o n the thermal stability of a series of copolyethers obtained from 3,3-bis(c hloromethyl)oxetane and various bisphenols: 4,4'-dihydroxyazobenzene, 4,4'- dihydroxydiphenyl, 4,4'-thiodiphenol, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-phenyl)ethane and 4 ,4'-dihydroxydiphenylsulfone. For a better correlation between chemical str ucture and thermal stability, molecular simulations were performed, using t he HYPERCHEM (version 4.5) program. The lowest thermal stability was exhibi ted by the polymers that contain azobenzene units. The best thermal stabili ty was that of the polyethers containing thiodiphenyl and 1,1-bis(phenyl)et hane units.