Abstract

Poly(carbonates) and poly(thiocarbonates) containing silicon in the main chain and derived from the diphenols bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-dimethylsilane, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethylmethylsilane, and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-diethylsilane with phosgene or thiophosgene, respectively, were synthesized under phase transfer conditions, using several phase transfer catalysts. Polymers were characterized by spectroscopic methods (IR and 1H, 13C, 29Si NMR) and the results were evaluated by the yields and the ηinh values. In general the effectiveness of the phase transfer process was low, the best results being obtained when the NaOH concentration was increased from the stoichiometric due to a salting-out effect. However, at higher concentrations hydrolytic process were observed. Poly(carbonates) and poly(thiocarbonates) showed, in general, the same trend with the catalysts. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.