SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF (ALKYLTHIO)METHYL-SUBSTITUTED POLY(OXYALKYLENE)S AND (ALKYLSULFONYL)METHYL-SUBSTITUTED POLY(OXYALKYLENE)S

(Alkylsulfonyl)methyl-substituted poly(oxyalkylene)s were synthesized in two steps. (Alkylthio)methyl-substituted poly(oxyalkylene)s were ma de by the reaction of poly[oxy(chloromethyl)ethylene] (CE), poly[oxy(c hloromethyl)ethylene-co-oxyethylene] (GEE), or poly[oxy-2,2-bis(chloro methyl)trimethylene] (BCT) with sodium alkanethiolates. Then they were oxidized to (alkylsulfonyl)methyl-substituted poly(oxyalkylene)s usin g m-chloroperbenzoic acid. Their structures were confirmed by NMR and IR. The polymer glass transition temperatures (T-g's) decreased as the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl side chains increased, except for the T-g of (n-pentylsulfonyl)methyl-substituted CE (the number of car bon atoms in the side chain is 5). Its T-g was about that of (butylsul fonyl)methyl-substituted CE. TGA studies showed that side-chain length did not affect the thermal decomposition behavior. However, polymers with different backbones had slightly different thermal decomposition behaviors. The solubility of the (alkylsulfonyl)methyl-substituted pol y(oxyalkylene)s strongly depended on the side-chain length, (Methylsul fonyl methyl-substituted poly(oxyalkylene)s were soluble only in polar solvents, such as DMAc, DMSO, and formic acid. (Alkylsulfonyl)methyl- substituted poly(oxyalkylene)s with long alkyl side chains were also s oluble in less polar solvents, such as CHCl3 and THF.