Structurally, PPO is made of phenylene rings linked together by ether linkages in the 1,4 or para- positions, with methyl groups attached to carbon atoms in the 2 and 6 positions.
PPO is made by what we call oxidative coupling polymerization of the monomer 2,6-dimethylphenol. Water is a by-product, and so this is technically a condensation polymerization. It's also a step-growth polymerization, which tells you something about how fast it builds molecular weight and the general mechanism of reaction.
This is what our monomer 2,6-dimethylphenol looks like in 3-D:
You can view the 3D image of DMP by clicking here or just click on the image itself.
Be sure to close the new window that opens up when you are ready to come back here.
Tested Syntheses of PPO Poly(phenylene oxide)
So if you'd actually like to make PPO the way it's made industrially and in the lab, we have two procedures for you to follow. One uses 2,6-dimethylphenol, very similar to what is used industrially. The other uses the 4-bromo derivative of this phenol. Both are safe and reproducible synthesis, as long as you're careful like always when working in the lab.Click here to see the procedure and here to download a copy.
NMR Spectra of PPO
You somehow find what you think is a sample of this wonderful polyether. Maybe you even made it yourself. How can you be sure that's what it is? You decide to get an NMR spectrum or two. But of course, you have to have an actual spectrum of this material to compare it to.So here's a 1H spectrum of PET and and here's its 13C spectrum.
We also have spectra of several other PPO analogs and derivatives. In fact, if you search the files here, you'll find some interesting spectra to compare to PPO spectra.
Some other engineering thermoplastics include:
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