Thermally latent synthesis of networked polymers from multifunctional hemiacetal ester and diepoxide catalyzed by Schiff‐base‐zinc chloride complex

Abstract

AbstractThermally latent reaction of a copolymer (P1) bearing hemiacetal ester and n‐butyl methacrylate moieties and glycidyl phenyl ether (2) was catalyzed by bis(p‐methoxybenzylidene)‐1,2‐diiminoethane/zinc chloride complex (ZnCl2/3) at 30–150 °C for 6 h. No reaction of P1 and 2 took place below 70 °C, and it smoothly proceeded above 120 °C. The latencies and activities mean that ZnCl2/3 meets both the high latencies at ambient conditions and the high activities at desired temperatures. Thermal crosslinking reaction employing multifunctional derivatives was carried out using ZnCl2/3 at 140 °C for 6 h to afford a networked polymer in high yields. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3682–3689, 2008