Wholly aromatic polymeric ketones from bis-(α-aminonitrile)s via soluble poly(bisaminonitrile)s

Condensation of the dianion of the bisaminonitrile alpha,alpha'-dicyano-alpha,alpha'-bis(di methylamino)-m-xylene (8) with bis[p-(p-flurobenzoyl)phenyl] ether (9) and 2;6-dibromopyridine (12) yielded the corresponding new poly(bisaminonitrile)s poly(oxy-p-phenylenecarbonyl-p-phenylene-[alpha,alpha'-dicyano-alpha-alpha'-bis(dimethylamino)-m- xylyl]-p-phenylenecarbonyl-p-phenylene) (10) and poly[alpha,alpha'-dicyano-alpha,alpha'-bis(dimethylamino)-m-xylyl-2-6- pyridinediyl] (13), respectively. Acidic hydrolysis of the readily soluble poly(bisaminonitrile)s 10 and 13 deprotected the carbonyl groups and afforded the new polyketones poly(oxy-p-phenylenecarbonyl-p-phenylenecarbonyl-m-phenylenecarbonyl-p-phenylarbonyl-p-phenylene) (PEKKKK, 11) and poly(carbonyl-m-phcnylenecarbonyl-2, 6-pyridinediyl) (14), respectively. PEKKKK II is insoluble in organic solvents, but polyketopyridine 14 is soluble in acidic aqueous media. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.