Recent developments in polyether synthesis

Abstract

Polyethers, both aliphatic, such as poly(ethylene oxide), poly(propylene oxide), etc., and wholly aromatic ones, such as poly(phenylene oxide)s, are commercially important materials. Polymers belonging to the former class are primarily synthesized via a ring-opening polymerization route, while those belonging to the latter are prepared via either oxidative coupling or nucleophilic aromatic substitution approaches. Polyethers that contain both aromatic and aliphatic units in their backbone are far less common. This review will discuss some of the recent advances in the preparation of polyethers, primarily focussing on those where the ether linkage is generated during polymerization. Although the standard ring-opening polymerization (ROP) route toward aliphatic polyethers has witnessed several interesting developments in recent years, it will not be covered in this review. The last section deals with a new melt-transetherification approach for the preparation of poly(xylylene alkylene ether)s developed in our laboratory.