Synthesis of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) with controlled molecular weight via suspension polymerization catalyzed by amine–copper (I) complexes under various reaction conditions

The oxidative suspension polymerization of 2,6-dimethyl phenol (DMP) to poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) was performed with the use of emulsifier in water–chloroform biphasic medium. The effects of DMP/catalyst mole ratio, ligands, emulsifiers, and 2,4,6-trimethyl phenol on polymerization were investigated in terms of molecular weight and yield. Various ligands were employed in the polymerization to investigate ligand efficiency. Intrinsic viscosity measurement data showed that the most efficient ligand was 1-methyl imidazole (Meim) in terms of molecular weight. By incorporating different amount of DMP in the monomer feed, it was possible to control the molecular weight of PPE in the oxidative suspension polymerization.