Synthesis and Characterization of Aromatic Amine Functional Semicrystalline Aryl Ether Ketone Macromers

From earlier experiments it was observed that the reactions of aryl fluoride functional aryl ether ketone oligomers (PEK) with m-aminophenol lead to poor levels of amine incorporation because of side-reactions. In this article, a method is presented to protect the m-aminophenol by converting it into a triarylimine group. This protected m-aminophenol was used together with 4-fluoro,4'-hydroxybenzophenone in a typical poly(aryl ether) synthesis. PEKs of different molecular weights were synthesized with number average molecular weights M(n)) of 2600, 4500, and 5400 g/mol. The deprotection of the triarylimine chain end was carried out by an acid treatment to afford a monofunctional aromatic amine end group, amenable towards copolymerization. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.