Graft polymerization of styrene on lithiated poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene ether)

Abstract

Abstract Styrene has been grafted onto poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene ether) (I) with the use of lithiated I as an initiator. In benzene solution, solvent metalation resulted in some polystyrene homopolymer. In tetrahydrofuran, however, only graft copolymer was formed. By forming a derivative with trimethylchlorosilane and examining by NMR, it was possible to establish the proportion of lithium scavenged by impurities, the amount of polymeric lithium which reacted with styrene, and the amount which did not. The chain length of the grafted polystyrene was also calculated. No crosslinking was found, except where a high ratio of lithium to styrene resulted in some unreacted ring‐metalated polymer. In this case only, reaction with trimethylchlorosilane causes some crosslinking.