Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

Research Institute for Production Developement

Seisan Kaihatsu Kagaku Kenkyusho

Mitsutoshi Jikei

Hiroyuki Nishide

Eishun Tsuchida

Kimihisa Yamamoto

Junya Katoh

A process for preparing a polyarylene thioether, comprising oxidation coupling polymerizing with oxygen and a catalyst in the presence of an acid, at least one compound selected from the group consisting of thiophenols of the formula (II): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.9 to R.sup.12 are identical or different and each is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, halogen or alkoxyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms. Reaction conditions of the process are very mild, and the process is relatively simple and easy. In addition, the process is commercially advantageous in that very inexpensive reactants and catalysts can be used.

Process for preparing polyarylene thioether from thiophenol

Polyarylene thioether is easily prepared by oxidative polymerizing an aromatic compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group, and Y is a hydrogen atom or a group of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group or a lower alkoxy group and X is --O--, --S--, a methylene group or an ethylene group with a sulfidizing agent in the presence of an acid and an oxidizing agent, or in the presence of an acid, a catalyst for oxidative polymerization and oxygen, or in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst.

Process for preparing polyarylene thioether

Catalytic process for preparing polyarylene thioether

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Kawagoe, Japan

Mitsutoshi Jikei