Synthesis of poly(arylene sulfide)s by reaction of aromatic sulfides with AlCl₃

Abstract

SynopsisMethods have been developed to obtain poly(arylene sulfidek by high-temperature bulk polycondensation of diphenyl sulfide, cyclic aromatic sulfides, a s well as direct reaction of benzene with sulfur, under the action of AICI,,. The reaction proceeds via the formation of colored cation-radical complexes of aromatic sulfides with AICI, and results in polymers of ladder structure with, predominantly, thianthrene units in the chain. Taking linear poly(l,4phenylene sulfide) as an example, AICI, is shown not only to act as a catalyst but also to exert an active influence on the chemical structure of the polymer.