Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Poly(arylene ether)s Based on 9,10-Bis-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenyl) anthracene and 2,7-Bis-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenyl) fluorene

Two new bisfluoro monomers 9,10-bis-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenyl) anthracene and 2,7-bis-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenyl) fluorene have been synthesized by the cross-coupling reaction of 2-fluoro-3-trifluoromethyl phenyl boronic acid with 9,10-dibromo anthracene and 2,7-dibromo fluorine, respectively. These two bisfluoro compounds were used to prepare several poly(arylene ether)s by aromatic nucleophilic displacement of fluorine with various bisphenols; such as bisphenol-A, bisphenol-6F, bishydroxy biphenyl, and 9,9-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-fluorene. The products obtained by displacement of the fluorine atoms exhibits weight-average molar masses up to 1.5 X 10(5) g mol(-1) and number average molecular weight up to 6.8 X 10(4) g mol(-1) in GPC. These poly(arylene ether)s show very high thermal stability even up to 490 degrees C for 5% weight loss occurring at this temperature in TGA in synthetic air and showed glass transition temperature observed up to 310 degrees C. All the polymers are soluble in a wide range of organic solvents, e.g., CHCl3, THF, NMP, and DMF. Films cast from DMF solution are brittle in nature. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.