Vanillin based phthalonitrile and acetylene bifunctional resins

The renewable and biosynthetic molecule, vanillin, were used in the preparation of new phthalonitrile (PN) and ethynylbenzene (EB) bifunctional resins without pre-modification of the vanillin structure. This PN resin was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, rheometry, and single crystal x-ray diffraction. The monomers exhibited excellent rheometric viscosities below 250 Cp at processing temperatures and a good pot life. After complete curing, the PN polymers exhibited thermal stability above 500 degrees C, a glass transition temperature (Tg) above the final postcure temperature of 380 degrees C, and exceptional retention of structural integrity over a large temperature range. These results suggest that vanillin derived EBPN based resins are excellent candidates for use in a variety of applications where high temperature and mechanical stability is critical. ortho-, meta-, and para-Vanillin bifunctional resins researched throughout this work. image