High refractive and low birefringent materials based on Poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s and Poly(arylene ether phosphine sulfide)s

Poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s and poly(arylene ether phosphine sulfide)s with high refractive indices and low birefringences have been developed. The poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s were synthesized by the polycondensation of bis(4-fluorophenyl)phenylphosphine oxide with various bisphenols. Subsequently, the poly (arylene ether phosphine sulfide)s were synthesized by the sulfurization reaction of the poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s with Lawesson's reagent. These polymers have excellent thermal stabilities (T-d5 > 490 degrees C), high glass transition temperatures (T-g = 198-281 degrees C), and no absorption in the visible light region. In addition, they achieve high refractive indices of 1.649-1.675 for the poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s and 1.671-1.691 for the poly(arylene ether phosphine sulfide)s owing to the highly polarizable P = X (X= O, 5) groups in their backbones. Their orientational birefringences (C-R values) are in the range from +0.7 x 10(-9) to +3.0 x 10(-9) Pa-1, which are lower than those of the conventional poly(arylene ether ketone) and poly (arylene ether sulfone) (+7.8 x 10(-9) and +4.0 x 10(-9) Pa-1, respectively).