Microwave-assisted polycondensation of aliphatic diols of isosorbide with aliphatic disulphonylesters via phase-transfer catalysis

Numerous polycondensations of aliphatic diol of isosorbide and 1,8-dimesyloctane or other aliphatic dibromo and disulphonated alkylating agent was performed under phase-transfer catalytic conditions. In order to check the possible specific non-thermal microwave (MW) effects, reactions were comparatively performed inside a thermostated oil bath (Delta) under similar conditions. The reactions conditions were varied to optimize both, the fraction insoluble in methanol (FP MeOH) and the molecular weight of polyethers. In all cases, it was found that microwave-assisted polycondensations proceeded more efficiently compared with conventional heating (the reaction time was reduced from 24 h to 30 min: ratio 1/50). The polycondensation under microwave yields 63% of polyethers precipitating in methanol with relatively high average-weight molecular weights (M-w up to approximately 7000). The polyethers were characterized by NMR (H-1, C-13) and FT-IR spectroscopy and SEC measurement and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.