Synthesis of Novel Poly(ether ketone diphenyl ketone ether ketone ketone)s by Electrophilic Friedel-Crafts Solution Polycondensation

4,4'-Bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)diphenyl was prepared by the Friedel-Crafts reaction of 4-bromobenzoyl chloride and diphenyl followed by condensation with potassium phenoxide. Novel aromatic poly(ether ketone diphenyl ketone ether ketone ketone)s were obtained by the electrophilic Friedel-Crafts solution copolycondensation of 4 4'-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)diphenyl with a mixture of isophthaloyl chloride and terephthaloyl chloride over a wide range of isophthaloyl chloride/terephthaloyl chloride molar ratios in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone in 1,2-dichloroethane. The influence of the reaction conditions on the preparation of the copolymers was examined. The copolymers were characterized with different physicochemical techniques. Because of the incorporation of diphenyl, the resulting copolymers exhibited outstanding thermal stability. The glass-transition temperatures were above 174 degrees C, the melting temperatures were above 342 degrees C, and the 5% weight loss temperatures were above 544 degrees C in nitrogen. All these copolymers were semicrystalline and insoluble in organic solvents. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 114: 1543-1550, 2009