| abstract |
A method comprising(a) synthesis of a poly(arylene ether) having the structure (1)wherein m is an integer having an average value in the range from about 3 to about 300;(b) solution functionalization of polymer (1) to form functionalized poly(arylene ether) having the structure (2)wherein X is a reactive functional group selected from the group consisting of anhydride, hydroxyl, epoxy, carboxyl, -R1OH, R1CO2R2, -R1CH2=CH2, or vinyl, wherein R1 is a primary or secondary divalent alkyl or haloalky group having from 1 to 20 carbons, or an aryl group and R2 is a primary or secondary alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbons; and Q4 is hydrogen, X, or a mixture thereof;(c) reaction of functionalized poly(arylene ether) (2) with a poly(organosiloxane) having structure (3):wherein x is zero or one and Y is a functional group reactive with X, selected from the group consisting of -OH, -CH2=CH2, epoxy, amino, carboxy, -C(O)CH2OH, or hydrogen, to form a poly(arylene ether)-poly(siloxane) copolymer, wherein the functionalization is in solution, and copolymer synthesis and isolation are effected by first solution and then melt copolymerization. |