A Study on the N-Allylation Reaction of Aromatic Polyamides. 1. Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)

• Published in: Macromolecules Vol. 33; no. 12; pp. 4390 - 4397
• Main Authors: Russo, Saverio, Bianchi, Estella, Congiu, Annalisa, Mariani, Alberto, Mendichi, Raniero
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 13.06.2000
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical modifications; Chemical reactions and properties; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Molecular rigidity; Chemical solution; Chemical modification; Nylon; Electrophilic substitution; Molecular weight viscosity relationship; Aromatic polymer; Metalation; Experimental study; Allylation
• ISSN: 0024-9297; 1520-5835
• DOI: 10.1021/ma9921605

Aromatic polyamides represent an important class of polymeric materials from both the academic and the industrial points of view. Unfortunately, because of strong intermolecular interactions mainly due to hydrogen bonding, their solubility in common organic solvents is often extremely poor. In most cases, this drawback does not allow aramide molecular characterization. In the present work, the above difficulties have been overcome by a functionalization reaction leading to N-allyl derivatives of the parent aramide, that are easily soluble in organic solvents. Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) has been chosen as the reference aramide to be functionalized, on the basis of its industrial relevance as well as its insolubility in all organic media. Molar mass distribution of its N-allylated derivative has been obtained by SEC, using chloroform + 0.3% acetic acid as mobile phase, thus allowing full molecular characterization of the parent polymer.