1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan;2. JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan
Abstract:
A newly established catalyst system for oxygen‐oxidative polymerization of diphenyl disulfide is reported. Combination of vanadyl compounds (e.g., VO(acac)2) and triphenylmethylium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate (TrB(C6F5)4) proceeds the polymerization to give poly(1,4‐phenylene sulfide) (PPS) at 100 °C. When triphenylmethylium tetrafluoroborate (TrBF4) is applied with vanadyl tetraphenylporphyrin (VO(TPP)) or N,N′‐(ethylenebis(salicylideneaminato))oxovanadium (VO(salen)), PPS is also given via polymerization under conditions near 160 °C. Combination of the vanadyl complex and the borate affords the first protic‐acid‐free catalytic system for the polymerization of the disulfide, suggesting the overall reaction to produce PPS and H2O from O2 and protons that are eliminated from the monomer.
