| abstract |
A process is disclosed for forming polymers and oligomers containing the repeating unit O PARALLEL --O-P-OR'-- ¦ R where R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrocarbyl, preferably C1-C4 alkyl groups, e.g., methyl and ethyl, and R' is an alkylene group, e.g., a C2-C4 alkylene group, a substituted alkylene group, or an alkylene group having one or more O, S, arylene or vinylene group interruptions in its aliphatic chain. It comprises the transalkylation of a dihalide compound of the formula: X - R' - X, where R' has the same meaning given above and X is either chlorine or bromine and is attached to the terminal carbon atoms in R', with a phosphonate compound of the formula, RPO(OR'')2, where R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group and R'' is an alkyl group, by means of reaction of that dihalide with the phosphonate at an elevated temperature, e.g., about 120 DEG C-250 DEG C. |