SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF SMALL-MOLECULE PHOSPHAZENE RINGS BEARING FUSED-RING ARYLOXY SIDE-GROUPS - MODELS FOR OPTICALLY USEFUL HIGH POLYMERS

A series of cyclic tri- and tetra-meric phosphazenes [NP(OR)(2)](n) (n = 3 or 4), N3P3(OR)Cl-5 and N3P3(OR)(4)Cl-2 has been prepared with 1- or 2-naphthyloxy, 1-naphthylmethyloxy, 1-naphthylethyloxy, 9-anthryloxy and 9-phenanthryloxy side groups OR. These syntheses are model processes for the preparation of the corresponding phosphazene high polymers. The small-molecule compounds were characterized by a combination of P-31 NMR and mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis and crystal structures of six compounds, Attempts to synthesize the corresponding phosphazene high polymers by similar substitution techniques were,in general, successful, with high-temperature reaction conditions needed to overcome steric hindrance effects.