Anshu M. Gupta, C. Macosko
May 1, 1991
Citations
1
Influential Citations
25
Citations
Journal
Macromolecular Symposia
Abstract
The chemistry and growth of polymer structures based on the cyanate linkage has been studied. The monofunctional model compound 2-(4-cyanatophenyl)-2-phenylpropane was used to study the reaction products. The synthesis was performed with four different transition metal catalysts and also without a catalyst. The quenched products were analyzed using Size Exclusion Chromatography(SEC) and 13C NMR. It was found that the reaction is relatively clean, with trimerization being the major product. A few side products were also detected, which included dimers and higher oligomeric species. Crosslinked polymers were synthesized without catalyst based on the bifunctional monomer 2, 2-bis(4-cyanatophenyl)propane. The structure was analyzed using 13C NMR. The conversion and number-average degree of polymerization based on 13C NMR is reported. Conversion at the gel point was found to be higher than 60%. On this basis it was concluded that polymerization based on cyanate linkages at the conditions studied is diffusion controlled and therefore not described by Flory's mean-field theory.