POLY(ARYLENE ETHER) BLOCK COPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS, METHODS, AND ARTICLES

1 . A method of preparing a poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer, comprising reacting a poly(arylene ether) comprising a hydroxy group, a hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane, and an activated aromatic carbonate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said reacting comprises melt reacting.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said reacting comprises reacting in a solvent.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) comprises repeating structural units having the formula

wherein for each structural unit, each Z 1 is independently halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl with the proviso that that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and each Z 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl with the proviso that that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atom.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) comprises 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) has an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.04 to about 0.6 deciliter per gram at 25° C. in chloroform.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) has, on average, about 0.5 to 1 aromatic hydroxy group per chain.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) has, on average, greater than 1 aromatic hydroxy group per chain.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane comprises

repeating units having the structure

wherein each occurrence of R 8 and R 9 is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl or C 1 -C 12 halohydrocarbyl; and

a terminus having the structure

wherein Y is hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or halogen, and wherein each occurrence of R 10 and R 11 is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl or C 1 -C 12 halohydrocarbyl.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each occurrence of R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 is independently methyl or phenyl, and wherein Y is methoxy.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane has the structure

wherein n is 5 to about 200.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated aromatic carbonate is selected from the group consisting of bis(o-chlorophenyl) carbonate, bis(o-nitrophenyl) carbonate, bis(o-acetylphenyl) carbonate, bis(o-phenylketonephenyl) carbonate, bis(o-formylphenyl) carbonate, bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated aromatic carbonate is bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activated aromatic carbonate is used in an amount of about 0.5 to about 2 moles per two moles of total hydroxy groups contributed by the poly(arylene ether) and the polysiloxane.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the poly(arylene ether) to the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane is about 1:10 to about 10:1.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising melt reacting an endcapping agent with the poly(arylene ether), the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane, and the activated aromatic carbonate.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer is a diblock copolymer, a triblock copolymer, a linear multiblock copolymer having more than three blocks, or a radial teleblock copolymer.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer is a poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane-poly(arylene ether) triblock copolymer.

19 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer prepared by the method of claim 1 .

20 . A method of preparing a poly(arylene ether)-poly(alkylene ether) block copolymer, comprising melt reacting a poly(arylene ether) comprising a hydroxy group, a hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane, and bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate;

wherein the poly(arylene ether) has an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.04 to about 0.2 deciliters per gram at 25° C. in chloroform and comprises 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, or a combination thereof;

wherein the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane has the structure

wherein n is about 10 to about 100;

wherein the weight ratio of the poly(arylene ether) to the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane is about 1:3 to about 6:1; and

wherein the activated aromatic carbonate is used in an amount of about 0.5 to about 2 moles per two moles of total hydroxy groups contributed by the poly(arylene ether) and the hydroxy-terminated polysiloxane.

21 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer prepared by the method of claim 20 .

22 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer, comprising:

a poly(arylene ether) block;

a hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block; and

a carbonate group linking the poly(arylene ether) block and the polysiloxane block.

23 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer, consisting of:

at least one poly(arylene ether) block;

at least one hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block; and

at least one carbonate group linking the poly(arylene ether) block and the polysiloxane block.

24 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer, comprising:

a poly(arylene ether) block having an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.04 to about 0.2 deciliters per gram at 25° C. in chloroform and comprising 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, or a combination thereof;

a hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block having a number average molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000 atomic mass units, wherein the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block has the structure

wherein n is about 5 to about 200; and

a carbonate group linking the poly(arylene ether) block and the poly(alkylene ether) block.

25 . A poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer, consisting of:

at least one poly(arylene ether) block having an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.04 to about 0.2 deciliters per gram at 25° C. in chloroform and comprising 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units, or a combination thereof;

at least one hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block having a number average molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 8,000 atomic mass units, wherein the hydroxyaryl-terminated polysiloxane block has the structure

wherein n is about 5 to about 200;

at least one carbonate group linking the poly(arylene ether) block and the poly(alkylene ether) block; and

optionally, at least one endcap derived from an endcapping agent.

26 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 19 .

27 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 21 .

28 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 22 .

29 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 23 .

30 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 24 .

31 . An article comprising the poly(arylene ether)-polysiloxane block copolymer of claim 25 .