Abstract
The simple stirring of phenol with an oxidant in water provided a novel green way to synthesize soluble polyphenol. The soluble polyphenol obtained had a high poly(phenylene oxide) unit ratio, poly(phenyleneoxide)/poly(phenylene)=ca. 80/20. Additionally, the insoluble fraction was identified as a poly(phenyleneoxide), which has a crosslinking point for every 5.5×103 molecular weight. These results suggest that oxidative polymerization in water can be run in a manner to control the coupling selectivity of phenol. Both the soluble polyphenol and the insoluble fraction showed a high thermal stability. Oxidative polymerization in water provides the potential for a formaldehyde-free and regioselected soluble poly(phenyleneoxide) from phenol.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 47-51 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- Oxidative polymerization
- Phenol
- Phenolic resin
- Polyphenyleneoxide
- Water solvent