Poly(N-4-vinylbenzyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) Copper Complex Grafted Solid Catalyst for Oxidative Polymerization of 2,6-Dimethylphenol

A new solid phase catalyst, poly(N-4-vinylbenzyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) copper(I) complex, grafted onto polystyrene particles, has been employed for the oxidative polymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol using an aqueous biphasic (water/toluene) solvent system. The solid catalyst was synthesized by first grafting N-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1,4,7-triaza-cyclononane onto polystyrene particles using a radical mediated polymerization method and next by creating the polymer-metal complex of copper-triazacyclononane with these modified particles. Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) was successfully obtained from the polymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol using this new metal-organic solid phase catalyst.