Synthesis and characterization of readily soluble polyarylates derived from either 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐phenylethane or tetramethylbisphenol A and aromatic diacid chlorides

A series easily soluble polyarylates were synthesized from either 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1‐phenylethane or tetramethylbisphenol A with various aromatic diacid chlorides by the two‐phase interfacial polycondensation. These polyarylates have the inherent viscositiesin the range of 0.36–0.97 dL/g, and their number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights determined by gel permeation chromatography are 14,200–43,200 and 31,900–102,500, respectively. All these polyarylates are readily soluble in a wide range of organic solvents, thus these polymers can be convenient to process into heat resistance films by cast, spin‐ or dip‐coating. The polyarylates have the glass transition temperatures in the range of 165.0–201.6°C. The pendent phenyl‐containing polyarylates reveal excellent thermal stability, and their initial degradation temperatures are all above 480°C and char yields at 700°C are 37.97–40.53% in nitrogen atmosphere. However, the polymers prepared from tetramethylbisphenol A have a large decrease in thermal stability, and their initial degradation temperatures in nitrogen are only about 440°C. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011