Sulfur‐Containing Polymers

Abstract

Sulfur-containing polymers, when considering their structure, make up a complex group of macromolecular compounds of varied and often remarkable features that determine their versatile applications.The presence of sulfur atoms in polymer structure, depending on the kind of functional group, can improve some important properties, such as mechanical, electrical, and optical, and then adhesion to metals, resistance to heat, chemicals, radiation, and bacteria, biocompatibility, and so on. These are their more important functional groups: sulfide -S-, polysulfide -S n -, sulfonyl -SO 2 -, sulfinyl -SO-, sulfo -SO 3 H, as well as some organic groups containing sulfur atoms, such as thioester -Sulfur-containing polymers can be used as high performance engineering plastics, chemically stable ion-exchange membranes in electromembrane processes, proton-conducting electrolytes, as well as optical, optoelectronic, and photochemical materials. Some polymers are employed in biomedical applications, for example, sulfopolymers as biomembranes and blood-compatible materials, and polysulfates and polysulfonates as antithrombotic or antiviral agents. The presence of sulfur, particularly in the form of disulfide bridges, plays an important role in biopolymers.The purpose of this review is mainly to present recent advances in the area of sulfur-containing polymers that may not yet have commercial applications. Nevertheless, older but still significant material has been included at the beginning of the discussion of each class. Poly(monosulfide)sPolymers containing a monosulfide linkage in both the main chain and the pendent group are the subject of many detailed studies. A few reviews of the synthesis and properties of all types of polymers have been published (1-4); like the one covering polymer with sulfur in the main chain that appeared in 1992 (3). Polysulfides with controlled and well-defined structures can be easily prepared. Nevertheless, the only commercial poly(monosulfide) is Ryton [Philips Petroleum Co., poly(thio-1,4-phenylene) more frequently referred to as poly(p-phenylene sulfide) or poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS)].

Polymers from sugars and CS2: ring opening copolymerisation of a d-xylose anhydrosugar oxetane

“…18 Moreover, sulfur-containing polymers exhibit biocompatibility and have shown potential in metal and bacterial adhesion. 19,20 The presence of sulfur atoms in the backbone of polymers may also accelerate degradation under appropriate conditions (e.g. under UV radiation).…”

Synthesis of poly(sulfonate ester)s by ADMET polymerization

“…The polycondensation of disulfonyl chlorides with diphenols has been used in the synthesis of aromatic poly(sulfonate ester)s which possess interesting physical, chemical, electrical and thermal properties. 33,34 However, the number-average molecular weights of the resulting polymers tend to be rather low (ranging from 2,000 to 16,000 g/mol) and the dispersities high (up to 29). These conditions also often require a phasetransfer catalyst and produce stoichiometric amounts of salt byproducts.…”

New thermoplastic poly(thiourethane-urethane) elastomers based on hexane-1,6-diyl diisocyanate (HDI)

“…Poly(thiourethane)s, poly(thioester)s and poly(thiocarbonate)s have been synthesized and investigated mainly as potential plastics with high thermal and chemical resistance, as well as with high refractive index for optical applications (i.e., lenses and optical fibers) [1,[4][5][6][7].…”