Multicomponent Polymerization of Alkynes, Isocyanides, and Isocyanates toward Heterocyclic Polymers
Xiaoheng Wang, Baixue Li, Jianwen Peng, Bingnan Wang, Anjun Qin, Ben Zhong Tang
Abstract
Multicomponent polymerization (MCP) based on isocyanides, among the tremendous synthetic methodologies, is a powerful tool for the synthesis of functional heterocyclic polymers such as poly(maleimide)s (PMDs), which should be further developed. In this work, an atom-economic and catalyst-free MCP of activated alkynes, diisocyanides, and diisocyanates was fully explored. PMDs with high weight-average molecular weights (Mw up to 29,000) were facilely produced in satisfactory yields (up to 85%). The resultant polymers show excellent solubility, high thermal stability, and good film-forming ability, and their thin films possess high refraction indices in a range of 1.614–1.710 at 632.8 nm. Therefore, this work not only supplements the isocyanide-based MCPs but also enriches the family of polymerization reactions based on triple-bond building blocks.