Polyphenylene oxides - by oxidising substituted phenols in soln using cobalt salt and base catalyst

摘要

Polyphenylene oxides are made by reacting phenols (I): where R = CH3, C2H5, CH(CH3)2, C6H5 or Cl, R' = CH3, C2H5, C6H5 or Cl and R" and R'" = H, CH3, C2H5, C6H5 or Cl, with O2 or O2-contg. gases in a solvent, in the presence of a catalyst consisting of (a) a Co salt, (b) 1, 10-phenanthrene or 2,2'-dipyridyl (complex former) in a mol. ratio N2:Co = 1.5:1 to 3:1 and (c) an inorganic or inorganic-organic basic compound in a ratio gram equivalents base:gram atoms Co = 1:1 to 5:1, at a pressure of 1-20 atm. and a temp. of 0-150 degrees C. Products are high molecular polymers with excellent colour.