SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF POLY(1,6-HEPTADIYNE) DERIVATIVES CONTAINING HYDROXY FUNCTIONAL-GROUP

1,6-Heptadiyne derivatives containing hydroxy and aromatic substituents, 4-hydroxy-4-phenyl-1,6-heptadiyne (HPHD), 4-hydroxy-4-(4'-methylphenyl)-1,6-heptadiyne (HMHD), and 4-hydroxy-4-(4'-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiyne (HMOHD), were prepared and polymerized by various transition metal catalyst systems. A molybdenum complex was found to be the most effective catalyst for the cyclopolymerization of 4-hydroxy-1,6-heptadiyne derivatives. Polymerization of 4-hydroxy-1,6-heptadiyne derivatives by MoCl5-based catalysts gave soluble and highly colored polymers. HMOHD containing the methoxy functional group showed the highest reactivity in cyclopolymerization. The structures of the resulting polymers were elucidated with IR, H-1- and C-13-NMR and UV-visible spectroscopies. The present polymers were thermally and oxidatively more stable and had higher number-average molecular weights (M(n)) of 2 x 10(4) to 3 x 10(4) than the corresponding 4-hydroxy-1,6-heptadiyne derivatives containing aliphatic substituents.