Functional polymers and sequential copolymers by phase transfer catalysis

Summary

Two new synthetic methods for the preparation of functional polymers containing 2-oxazoline pendant groups are presented. The first one consists on the phase transfer catalyzed etherification of 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline with a mixture of m- and p-chloromethylstyrene to provide, after separation, m- and p-vinylbenzyl ethers of 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline. Both monomers can be polymerized by a radical mechanism to provide polystyrene containing 2-oxazoline pendant groups. The second method represents a phase transfer catalyzed etherification of a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) containing pendant bromomethyl groups with 2-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline. Incomplete etherification of the bromobenzyl groups in this case, leads to the first example of a functional polymer containing not only cationically polymerizable heterocycles, but also their own cationic initiator as pendant groups.