Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
polycarbonate
10.5.4 Polymers with Pendant Furan Groups
Tsuda [
160
] attached 2-furylacrolein to a polymeric backbone by the following reaction:
O
+
n
n
H
OO
H
OH
OH
O
O
In the presence of photosensitizers, this polymer was found by Tsuda to cross-link at a considerably
faster rate than does poly(vinyl cinnamate) [
160
]. He showed that the cross-linking reaction also results
in formation of cyclobutane derivatives. The cross-linking is illustrated on 3-furfurylacrylic ester:
O
light
O
O
OR
O
O
OR
OR
O
light
O
O
OR
O
RO
O
Tajima, Arai, and Takeuchi [
161
-
163
] studied the effects of singlet oxygen on photocross-linking
of poly(furfuryl methacrylate). The singlet oxygen was generated by fullerene C
60
. The reactions
were carried out in 1,1,2,2-tetra-chloroethane solutions that contained the polymer and fullerene C
60
.
Gelation occurs when exposed to visible light in the presence of photosensitizers. These solutions gel
after several hours and subsequently solidify completely [
163
].
It is interesting to note that fullerines are also effective in causing sensitization of poly(furfuryl
methacrylate) and are effective in causing cross-linking upon with UV irradiation [
164
]. This is
attributed to their long-lasting ability to sensitize oxygen even when they themselves undergo
