| The compound 2,6-anthracenedicarboxylic acid is used as a comonomer for the synthesis of a series of copolyesters. The copolymers are characterized and further functionalized by Diels-Alder grafting or crosslinking through the anthracenate unit. The Diels-Alder reaction is used to graft N-substituted maleimide on to poly(ethylene terephthalate- co-2,6-anthracenedicarboxylate), PET-co-A. Maleimide-capped poly(ethylene glycol) is grafted onto PET-co-A to improved its hydrophilicity.; 2,6-Anthracenedicarboxylic acid is also incorporated into the known liquid crystalline polymer, poly(4-oxybenzoate-co-1,4-phenylene isophthalate) (HIQ40). The resulting copolymer, poly(4-oxybenzoate- co-1,4-phenylene isophthalate-co-2,6-phenylene anthracenate), HIQ40-co-A, shows LCP behavior. These HIQ40-co-A copolymers are grafted with maleimide end-capped monomers and polymers and crosslinked with bismaleimides through a Diels-Alder mechanism. |
