FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLY(ORGANOPHOSPHAZENES) .3. SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHAZENE MATERIALS CONTAINING CARBON-CARBON DOUBLE-BONDS AND EPOXIDE GROUPS

The chemical modification of hydroxylic group-containing cyclo- and poly-phosphazenes to introduce ethylenic and epoxide functionalities is reported. Thus, hexakis(4-hydroxyphenoxy)cyclophosphazene and poly[bis(4-hydroxyphenoxy)phosphazene] were reacted with carboxylic acids, acyl chlorides and alpha-bromo-methylene derivatives containing carbon-carbon double bonds, in the presence of bases or suitable condensing agents, to give unsaturated phosphazenes. These substrates were epoxidized successively under mild experimental conditions by reaction with m-chloroperbenzoic acid to produce epoxide-containing phosphazene materials. Possible practical exploitation of these new derivatives is discussed.