SYNTHESIS OF ALPHA,OMEGA-BIS(2,6-DIMETHYLPHENOL)-POLY(2,6-DIMETHYLPHENOL 1,4-PHENYLENE OXIDE) BY PHASE-TRANSFER CATALYZED POLYMERIZATION OF 4-BROMO-2,6-DIMETHYLPHENOL IN THE PRESENCE OF 2,2-DI(4-HYDROXY-3,5-DIMETHYLPHENYL)PROPANE

α,ω-Bis(2,6-dimethylphenol)-poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO-2OH) was synthesized by the radical-cation phase transfer catalyzed polymerization of 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenol (1) in the presence of 2,2-di(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)propane (2). Copolymerization experiments were performed by a liquid-liquid two phase, benzene/1.5 N NaOH (aq), phase transfer catalyzed reaction with tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (TBAH) or tricaprylmethyllammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) catalysts. A series of copolymerization experiments were performed with 1/2 molar ratios of 4/1, resulting in PPO-2OH with Mn in the range of 2200-3200 g/mol. Phase transfer catalyzed etherification of the PPO-2OH chain ends with p-chloromethylstyrene was used to synthesize α,ω-bis(vinylbenzyl ether)s of the PPO-2OH (PPO-2VBE). The chain microstructure and the fuctionality of both PPO-2OH and PPO-2VBE was studied by 200 MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.