Stable, High‐Molecular‐Weight Poly(phthalaldehyde)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Low ceiling temperature, thermodynamically unstable polymers have been troublesome to synthesize and keep stable during storage. In this study, stable poly(phthalaldehyde) has been synthesized with BF 3 ‐OEt 2 catalyst. The role of BF 3 in the polymerization is described. The interaction of BF 3 with the monomer is described and used to maximize the yield and molecular weight of poly(phthalaldehyde). Various Lewis acids were used to investigate the effect of catalyst acidity on poly(phthalaldehyde) chain growth. In situ nuclear magnetic resonance was used to identify possible interactions formed between BF 3 and phthalaldehyde monomer and polymer. The molecular weight of the polymer tracks with polymerization yield. The ambient temperature stability of poly(phthalaldehyde) was investigated and the storage life of the polymer has been improved. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 55 , 1166–1172