A new Schiff base epoxy oligomer resin: Synthesis,characterization, and thermal decomposition kinetics

Oligo{2,2′‐{1,4‐phenylenebis[nitrilomethylylidene]}bis(6‐methoxyphenol)} (OPNMMP) was synthesized from o‐vanillin and p‐phenylene diamine by oxidative polycondensation with NaOCl in an aqueous alkaline. Then, a new Schiff Base epoxy oligomer resin, OPNMMP–epichlorohydrine (EPC), was produced with EPC. The structures of the resulting compounds were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR. Further characterization processes were preformed by thermogravimetry (TG)–differential thermal analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and solubility testing. Also, the kinetics of the thermal decomposition of OPNMMP–EPC were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The TG curves showed that the thermal decomposition of OPNMMP–EPC occurred in one stage. The kinetic parameters related to the decomposition kinetics of OPNMMP–EPC were obtained from TG curves with the following methods: Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger, invariant kinetic parameter, and Coats–Redfern (CR), under an N₂ dynamic atmosphere and different heating rates (5, 10, 15, and 20°C/min). The mechanism function and pre‐exponential factor were also determined by a master plots method. The apparent activation energies of the thermal decomposition were calculated from these methods for OPNMMP–EPC. The analysis of the results obtained by the CR and master plots methods showed that the decomposition mechanism of OPNMMP–EPC in N₂ was a deceleration‐type mechanism. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis,characterization, and degradation of a novel L‐tyrosine‐derived polycarbonate for potential biomaterial applications

A novel class of pseudo‐poly(amino acid)s was synthesized with a cyclic dipeptide as new diphenole. Nonpeptide bonds alternating with a peptide bond structure were introduced into the backbone of the pseudo‐poly(amino acid)s. The cyclic dipeptide in this study was obtained from natural L ‐tyrosine. L ‐Tyrosine is a major nutrient amino acid with a phenolic hydroxyl group, so a polycarbonate derived from the cyclic dipeptide should possess more optimum mechanical properties, bioactivity, and biocompatibility. The hydrolytic specimen of the resulting polycarbonate was prepared by a modified solvent evaporation process. Under strongly alkaline conditions, degradation testing was performed. The tyrosine‐derived polycarbonate possessed a low glass‐transition temperature value and a high thermal decomposition temperature value, which formed a broad mean thermal processing range. The most important results of our study were the effects of the polycarbonate degradation on the local pH values, which were smaller than those of other biodegradable polymers [e.g., poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), and poly(lactic glycolic acid)]. The synthesized polymer and cyclic dipeptide were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, ¹³C‐NMR, and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy to determine their chemical structures; by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis to determine the thermal properties of the polymer; by gel permeation chromatography to determine the polymer's molecular weight; and by X‐ray diffraction to determine the polymer's morphology. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of a random terpolymer of L‐lactide, ϵ‐caprolactone and glycolide

A random terpolymer of L ‐lactide (LL), ?‐caprolactone (CL) and glycolide (G) has been synthesized in bulk at 130 °C using stannous octoate as the coordination–insertion initiator. The terpolymer, poly(LL‐ran‐CL‐ran‐G), has been characterized by a combination of analytical techniques: GPC, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DSC and TG. Molecular weight characterization by GPC shows a unimodal molecular weight distribution with values of M _n = 1.01 × 10⁵ g mol^?1 and M _w / M _n = 2.17. Compositional and microstructural analysis by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR, respectively, reveal a terpolymer composition of LL:CL:G = 74:15:11 (mol%) with a chain microstructure consistent with random monomer sequencing. This latter view is supported by the terpolymer temperature transitions (T_g and T_m) from DSC and the thermal decomposition profile from TG. The results and, in particular, the conclusion that it is a random rather than a statistical terpolymer are discussed in the light of current theories regarding the mechanism of this type of polymerization. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of aliphatic polycarbonates derived from carbon dioxide,propylene oxide and maleic anhydride

Terpolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with propylene oxide (PO) and maleic anhydride (MA) was successfully carried out using supported zinc glutarate catalyst. Consequently giving high molecular weight poly(propylene carbonate maleate) (PPCMA) in a very high yield (72.5 g polymer/g catalyst). The resulting terpolymers were fully characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques. NMR measurements showed that PPCMA had an almost alternating structure for the components of carbon dioxide and PO. The influence of molecular weight and MA content on the properties of PPCMA was also investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements revealed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of PPCMA increased with increasing molecular weight. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that PPCMA51 exhibited a very high decomposition temperature (263°C) due to the introduction of the double bond of MA into the backbone of terpolymer. The terpolymers with double bonds can be readily subjected to crosslinking reaction in high temperature to give a slightly crosslinked PPCMA, which exhibit superior thermal stability. Tensile tests also showed that the mechanical properties of PPCMA increased with increasing molecular weight. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermal degradation kinetics of the copolymer poly(4‐methoxybenzyl methacrylate‐co‐isobornyl methacrylate)

A copolymer of 4‐methoxybenzyl methacrylate and isobornyl methacrylate was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The structure of poly(4‐methoxybenzyl methacrylate‐co‐isobornyl methacrylate) was confirmed by means of Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR techniques. The molecular weight distribution values of the copolymer were determined with gel permeation chromatography. The number‐average molecular weight and polydispersity index values of poly(4‐methoxybenzyl methacrylate‐co‐isobornyl methacrylate) were found to be 12,500 and 1.5, respectively. The kinetics of the thermal degradation of the copolymer was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis at different heating rates. The activation energy values obtained with the Kissinger, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, and Tang methods were determined to be 166.38, 167.54, and 167.47 kJ/mol, respectively. Different integral and differential methods were used, and the results were compared with these values. Doyle approximation was also used for comparing the experimental results to master plots. An analysis of the experimental results suggested that the reaction mechanism was an R₁ deceleration type in the conversion range studied. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Copolymerization of N‐substituted maleimide with alkyl acrylate and its industrial applications

A series of new copolymers with desired thermal stability and mechanical properties for applications in leather industry were synthesized from various substituted maleimides and alkyl acrylates. Polymerization was carried out by a free‐radical polymerization using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. The monomers and polymers synthesized were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Interestingly, these polymers were soluble in common organic solvents. Copolymer composition and reactivity ratios were determined by ¹H‐NMR spectra. The molecular weights of the polymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography. The homo‐ and copolymer of maleimide showed single‐stage decomposition (ranging from 300–580°C). The initial decomposition temperatures of poly[N‐(phenyl)maleimide] [poly(PM)], poly[N‐4‐(methylphenyl)maleimide] [poly(MPM)] and poly[N‐3‐(chlorophenyl)maleimide] [poly(CPM)] were higher compared to those of the copolymers. Heat‐resistant adhesives such as blends of epoxy resin with phenyl‐substituted maleimide‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate copolymers with improved adhesion property were developed. Different adhesive formulations of these copolymaleimides were prepared by curing with diethanolamine at two different temperatures (30°C and 60°C). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 1870–1879, 2001     

A methacrylate monomer bearing nitro,aryl, and hydroxyl side groups: Homopolymerization,characterization, dielectric,and thermal degradation behaviors

2‐Hydroxy‐3‐(4‐nitrophenoxy)propyl methacrylate (HNPPMA) monomer was synthesized. The poly(HNPPMA) was prepared by free radical polymerization (FRP) method. The characterization of poly(HNPPMA) was carried out using FT‐IR, NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and GPC techniques. The thermal stability and degradation behavior of this polymer have been studied by using thermogravimetry (TG), GC‐MS, NMR, and FT‐IR. The results were in comparison to poly[2‐hydroxy‐3‐(1‐naphtyloxy)propyl methacrylate] sample with α‐naphtyloxy side group prepared by the same method in the our previous study. The effect of thermal activation on non‐isothermal decomposition kinetics of poly(HNPPMA) was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis according to Flynn‐Wall‐Ozawa method. The dielectric measurements of poly(HNPPMA) and doped with europium(III)chloride (EuCI₃) were investigated by impedance analyzer technique in range of 10–4000 Hz frequency by depending on the alternating current conductivities. The mode of thermal degradation including formation of the main products of poly(HNPPMA) degraded from ambient temperature to 500 °C was identified. S°, the cold ring fraction (CRF) was collected from room temperature to 500 °C. The structure of the degradation products has also been studied depending on the GC‐MS analysis. The thermal degradation mechanism for poly(HNPPMA) with radical degradation processes thought to dominate at high temperature was proposed based on GC/MS, NMR, FT‐IR, and taking into account the new products and differences in stability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43925.     

Schiff base‐substituted polyphenol: synthesis,characterisation and non‐isothermal degradation kinetics

BACKGROUND: Polymers of phenols and aromatic amines have emerged as new materials in fields such as superconductors, coatings, laminates, photoresists and high‐temperature environments. The stability, kinetics and associated pollution of the thermal decomposition of oligophenols are of interest for the aforementioned fields. RESULTS: A new Schiff base polymer, derived from N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenylmethylidene)‐2,6‐pyridinediamine, was prepared by oxidative polycondensation. Characterisations using Fourier transform infrared, UV‐visible, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, gel permeation chromatography, cyclic voltammetry and conductivity measurements were performed. The number‐average (M_n) and weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) and dispersity (D = M_w/M_n) of the polymer were found to be 61 000 and 94 200 g mol^?1 and 1.54, respectively. Apparent activation energies of the thermal decomposition of the polymer were determined using the Tang, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Coats–Redfern methods. The most likely decomposition process was a D_n deceleration type in terms of the Coats–Redfern and master plot results. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of the degradation process can be understood through the use of kinetic parameters obtained from various non‐isothermal methods. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of polymer film modified electrodes to detect metal ions

In order to obtain modified polymeric electrodes, polymers were synthesized that are insoluble in water but soluble in common organic solvents and contain different functional groups that are able to coordinate metal ions from low concentrations. Poly(acrylic acid‐co‐styrene), poly(acrylamide‐co‐4‐vinyl pyridine), and poly(styrene‐co‐4‐vinyl pyridine) were synthesized by radical polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were determined by size exclusion chromatography. These complexing polymers were used in the preparation by spin coating of complexing chemically modified electrodes. The polymer film modified electrodes were then tested for the detection of metal ions using the chemical preconcentration and anodic stripping technique. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1192–1197, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel aliphatic polyester based on itaconic acid

A novel potentially biobased aliphatic polyester poly (butylene 2‐methylsuccinate) (PBMS) was synthesized from 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) and 2‐methylsuccinate acid (MSA) via direct esterification and polycondensation route using tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as catalyst. The reaction conditions were investigated in detail. The proper molar ratio (1.08:1) of BDO to MSA was determined through balancing the reaction efficiency and costs of reactants. TBT was found to be an effective catalyst, and its content (0.1 mol% of MSA) was optimized based on the esterification ratio and intrinsic viscosity. The molecular weight of PBMS polymers was governed by the polycondensation time. The weight average molecular (M_w) characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) ranged from 5,800 to 8,700 g/mol. The polyester was also characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the glass transition temperature continuously increased with molecular weight. The polyester had excellent thermal stability, and its decomposition temperature increased with the molecular weight. As new potentially biobased polyester plasticizer, desirable mechanical properties were achieved at the weight ratio of PBMS was 80/100 and 50/100. In addition, the PBMS/poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blends had superior migration‐resistant property to the low‐molecular weight plasticizer dioctyl phthalate for PVC. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2515–2521, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Metal ion interaction of water‐soluble copolymers containing carboxylic acid groups in aqueous phase by membrane filtration technique

This article reports the synthesis of poly(N‐maleoylglycine‐co‐itaconic acid) by radical copolymerization under different feed mole ratios and its properties to remove various metal ions, such as Cu(II), Cr(III), Co(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Fe(III), in aqueous phase with the liquid‐phase polymer‐based retention(LPR) technique. The interactions of inorganic ions with the hydrophilic water‐soluble polymer were determined as a function of pH and filtration factor. Metal ion retention was found to strongly depend on the pH. Metal ion retention increased as pH and MG content units in the macromolecular backbone increased. The copolymers were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, intrinsic viscosity, molecular weight, and polydispersity have been determined for the copolymers. Copolymer and polymer–metal complex thermal behavior was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) techniques under nitrogen atmosphere. The thermal decomposition temperatures (TDT) were influenced by the copolymer composition. The copolymers present lower TDT than the polymer–metal complex with the same copolymer composition. All copolymers present a single T_g, indicating the formation of random copolymers. A slight deviation of the T_g for the copolymers and its complexes can be observed. The copolymer T_g is higher than the T_g value for the polymer–metal complexes. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Structure and thermal degradation of poly(N‐phenyl acrylamide) and poly(N‐phenyl methacrylamide)

Poly(N‐phenyl acrylamide) (PPA) and poly(N‐phenyl methacrylamide) (PPMA) were prepared by using N‐phenyl acrylamide and N‐phenyl methacrylamide as monomer, respectively, in tetrahydrofuran using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, and GPC were used to characterize their molecular structure. The PPA obtained exhibited higher molecular weight and wider molecular weight distribution than that of PPMA. Their thermal degradation and kinetics were systematically investigated in two atmospheres of nitrogen and air from room temperature to 800°C by thermogravimetric analysis at 10°C/min. Based on the thermal decomposition reactions in nitrogen and air, it is shown that a three‐step degradation process in nitrogen and a four‐step degradation process for two polymers were observed in this investigation. The initial thermal degradation temperature was lower than 190°C. Under two atmospheres, PPA exhibits higher degradation temperature, higher temperature at the maximum weight‐loss rate, faster maximum weight‐loss rates, and larger weight loss for the first‐stage decomposition, as well as higher char yield at 500°C than those of PPMA. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1065–1071, 2003     

Synthesis,characterization and thermal degradation of poly[2‐(3‐p‐bromophenyl‐3‐methylcyclobutyl)‐2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate]

In this work, 2‐(3‐p‐bromophenyl‐3‐methylcyclobutyl)‐2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate (BPHEMA) [monomer] was synthesized by the addition of methacrylic acid to 1‐epoxyethyl‐3‐bromophenyl‐3‐methyl cyclobutane. The monomer and poly(BPHEMA) were characterized by FT‐IR and [¹H] and [¹³C]NMR. Average molecular weight, glass transition temperature, solubility parameter, and density of the polymer were also determined. Thermal degradation of poly[BPHEMA] was studied by thermogravimetry (TG), FT‐IR. Programmed heating was carried out at 10 °C min⁻¹ from room temperature to 500 °C. The partially degraded polymer was examined by FT‐IR spectroscopy. The degradation products were identified by using FT‐IR, [¹H] and [¹³C]NMR and GC‐MS techniques. Depolymerization is the main reaction in thermal degradation of the polymer up to about 300 °C. Percentage of the monomer in CRF (Cold Ring Fraction) was estimated at 33% in the peak area of the GC curve. Intramolecular cyclization and cyclic anhydride type structures were observed at temperatures above 300 °C. The liquid products of the degradation, formation of anhydride ring structures and mechanism of degradation are discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kinetics of thermal degradation studies of some new terpolymers derived from 2,4‐dihydroxypropiophenone,oxamide, and formaldehyde

The terpolymers (2,4‐DHPOF) have been synthesized by the condensation of 2,4‐dihydroxypropiophenone with oxamide and formaldehyde in the presence of 2M HCl as catalyst with varying proportions of reactants. Terpolymer composition has been determined on the basis of their elemental analysis. The terpolymer has been characterized by UV‐visible, IR, and ¹H NMR spectra. The thermal decomposition behavior of some new terpolymers was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere at heating rate of 10°C/min. Thermal decomposition curves are discussed with careful attention to minute details. The Freeman–Carroll and Sharp–Wentworth methods have been used to calculate activation energy and thermal stability. Thermal activation energy (E_a) calculated with the help of these methods are in agreement with each other. Thermodynamic parameters such as free energy change (ΔF), entropy change (ΔS), apparent entropy change (S*), and frequency factor (z) are also determined on the basis of the TG curves and by using data of the Freeman–Carroll method. The Freidman method evaluated the variation in the apparent activation energy changes by isoconversional (model‐free) kinetic methods. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

A novel dual stimuli‐responsive thiol‐end‐capped ABC triblock copolymer: synthesis via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer technique,and investigation of its self‐assembly behavior

A novel thermo‐ and pH‐responsive thiol‐end‐capped ABC triblock copolymer, namely poly(acrylic acid)‐block ‐poly(N ‐isopropylacrylamide)‐block ‐poly(? ‐caprolactone)–SH (PAA‐b ‐PNIPAAm‐b ‐PCL‐SH), was synthesized using a combination of ring‐opening polymerization and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization techniques. The chemical structures of all samples were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. The molecular weight of each segment was investigated using both ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The self‐assembly behavior of the PAA‐b ‐PNIPAAm‐b ‐PCL‐SH triblock copolymer under thermal and pH stimuli was fully investigated by means of fluorescence and UV–visible spectroscopies as well as dynamic light scattering measurements. The critical micelle concentration for the synthesized triblock copolymer was determined to be 0.0178 g L^?1 using the fluorescence probe technique. The average size of PAA‐b ‐PNIPAAm‐b ‐PCL‐SH micelles was determined to be 25 nm using transmission electron microscopy observations, and its lower critical solution temperature was determined to be 41–43 °C using UV–visible spectroscopy. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Thermally stable poly(propylene carbonate) synthesized by copolymerizing with bulky naphthalene containing monomer

To enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), the terpolymers were synthesized from carbon dioxide, propylene oxide, and a third monomer, [(2‐naphthyloxy)methyl]oxirane (NMO) using supported zinc glutarate as catalyst. The structure of these terpolymers was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The catalytic activity, molecular weight, carbonate unit content, as well as thermal and mechanical properties were investigated extensively. The experimental results showed that the catalytic activity, molecular weight, and carbonate unit content decreased with the incorporation of NMO. DSC measurements indicated that the introduction of NMO increased the glass transition temperature from 38 to 42°C. TGA tests revealed that the thermal decomposition temperature (T_g?5%) of the synthesized terpolymer increased significantly, being 34°C higher than that of pure PPC. Accordingly, the mechanical properties proved also to be enhanced greatly as evidenced by tensile tests. These thermal and mechanical improvements are of importance for the practical process and application of PPC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation,characterization, and investigation of poly(AMPS/AM/SSS) on application performance of water‐based drilling fluid

Based on the requirement of the synthesized polymer resistant to higher temperature and lower cost demand of water‐based drilling fluid system, a novel polymer, which named poly(AMPS/AM/SSS), was synthesized using acrylamide (AM), 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), and p‐styrenesulfonate (SSS). At first, the molecular structure was investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (¹H‐NMR) and element analysis. Simultaneously, the molecular weight and distribution was obtained by gel chromatography method. Moreover, the thermal stability was produced by thermal analysis (TG). Secondly, the poly(AMPS/AM/SSS) was introduced into water‐based drilling fluid system. As a result, it was shown that the use of poly(AMPS/AM/SSS) significantly improved the filtration performance of drilling fluid system. When the adding amount is 1.2 wt %, the FL_API of drilling fluid system is 9.20 mL. Moreover, it was found that the flow curve of water‐based drilling fluid systems are more fitted to the Herschel–Bulkley flow model. Besides, the temperature resistance of water‐based drilling fluid system was obviously improved. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the cost of water‐based drilling fluid system was significantly reduced. During this study, the filtration mechanism of the synthesized poly(AMPS/AM/SSS) was studied by adsorption analysis, Zeta potential method, and morphology analysis. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46510.     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) modified with imide dihydric alcohol

A series of high molecular weight poly (butylene succinate) and its copolyester containing rigid imide units were synthesized in this article. The chemical structure and composition of the copolyesters were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT‐IR). The thermal properties, crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of polymers were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and mechanical testing. The enzymatic degradation was investigated using pancreatic lipase solution. The results showed that the melting temperature (T_m) of the copolyester decreased with the increment in pyromellitic imide unit content. However, the thermal degradation temperature (5% decomposition temperature) changed little. Meanwhile, the enzymatic degradation rate of poly (butylene succinate) was enhanced. The mechanical properties showed that the tensile strength had a trend of decrease, but the elongation at break was improved with the increment in imide units. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40807.     

Synthesis,optical, and thermal properties of polyimides containing flexible ether linkage

The goal of this article was to synthesize a series of flexible polyimides containing ether linkage in main chain and clarified the effect of this ether linkage on some physical properties such as optical and thermal decomposition. Also, different functional group effects such as carbonyl (? C?O), hexa‐fluoro‐isopropylidene [? C(CF₃)₂? ] and phenyl (? C₆H₅) on these physical properties were evaluated. The structural characterization of poly(ether imide)s was performed using Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and ¹³C‐NMR techniques. Optical band gap of polyimides was calculated in the range from 2.57 to 2.81 eV. Thermal characterization of poly(ether imide)s was carried out using thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal stability of poly(ether imide)s was evaluated by initial decomposition temperature (T_on) and char. T_on value of polymers was determined in the range from 100 to 195 °C. In addition, glass transition temperatures of poly(ether imide)s were found between 144 and 148 °C. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46573.     

A new,nonphosgene route to poly(bisphenol a carbonate) by melt‐phase interchange reactions of alkylene diphenyl dicarbonates with bisphenol A

This article describes a new, nonphosgene method for the synthesis of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC). The method involves three steps: the reaction of an aliphatic diol with phenyl chloroformate to form an alkylene diphenyl dicarbonate, the reaction of the alkylene diphenyl dicarbonate with bisphenol A to produce an aromatic–aliphatic polycarbonate, and the thermal treatment of the polycarbonate at 180–210°C under a stream of nitrogen with Ti(OBu)₄ to give PC and a cyclic alkylene carbonate. The method furnished low to moderate molecular masses of PC upon the complete elimination of the aliphatic moieties. The approach may be considered a new method, based on polycarbonate thermochemical degradation, for the synthesis of cyclic aliphatic carbonates. The obtained polymers were characterized by intrinsic viscosity and IR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. The thermal treatment step was conducted in a glass reaction tube at 180–210°C under a stream of nitrogen, and the reaction was completed by heating to 250°C. In the thermal treatment step, semisolid effluents composed of cyclic alkylene carbonates were formed and subsequently eliminated from the reaction mixture. Heating to 250°C under nitrogen or under a dynamic vacuum furnished the pure aromatic PC residue. This intrachange reaction provides a flexible method for the synthesis of polycarbonates with alkylene diols containing two or three methylene groups, from which the pure PC homopolymer can be prepared. The potential of this approach was demonstrated by the successful synthesis of PC homopolymer from five different polycarbonates with a bisphenol A unit linked to 1,2‐propylene, 1,3‐propylene, 2‐methyl‐1,3‐propylene, 2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐propylene, and 1,3‐butylene as the alkane chains. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008