METHOD OF MAKING A POLYETHERIMIDE AND POLYETHERIMIDE PRODUCED THEREBY

1 . A method of making a polyetherimide, the method comprising:

contacting in a reaction vessel

a reactive substituted phthalic anhydride of the formula

an organic diamine of the formula

H 2 N—R—NH 2 ,

optionally, a chain terminating agent, and

optionally a imidization catalyst,

in a polar aprotic solvent under conditions effective to provide a reaction mixture comprising a substituted biphthalimide of the formula

and

adding to the reaction mixture in the reaction vessel

an aromatic dihydroxy compound of the formula

HO—Z—OH;

a base comprising an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal phosphate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, an alkali metal acetate, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;

optionally, a chain termination agent; and

optionally, a phase transfer catalyst;

under conditions effective to provide a product mixture comprising the polyetherimide;

wherein, in the foregoing formulas,

X is chloro, bromo, fluoro, iodo, nitro, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;

R is a C 6-20 aromatic hydrocarbon group or a halogenated derivative thereof, a straight or branched chain C 2-20 alkylene group, or a halogenated derivative thereof, a C 3-8 cycloalkylene group or halogenated derivative thereof, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and

Z is a group of the formula

wherein

R a and R b are each independently a halogen atom or a monovalent C 1-6 alkyl group,

p and q are each independently integers of 0 to 4,

c is 0 to 4, and

X a is a single bond, —O—, —S—, —S(O)—, —SO 2 —, —C(O)—, or a C 1-18 organic bridging group.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein X is chloro.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each R is independently a divalent group of the formula

wherein Q 1 is —O—, —S—, —C(O)—, —SO 2 —, —SO—, —C y H 2y — or a halogenated derivative thereof, wherein y is an integer from 1 to 5, or —(C 6 H 10 ) z —, and wherein z is an integer from 1 to 4.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polar aprotic solvent comprises sulfolane, diphenyl sulfone, dimethyl sulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, hexamethylphosphoramide, anisole, veratrole, diphenylether, phenetole, an ionic liquid, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the reactive substituted phthalic anhydride and the organic diamine in the solvent is at a temperature of at least 130° C. and for a time of 0.5 to 30 hours.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein Z is 4,4′-diphenylene isopropylidene.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base is an alkali metal carbonate.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method excludes the phase transfer catalyst.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the phase transfer catalyst is a hexaalkylguanidinium salt.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the aromatic dihydroxy compound, the alkali metal carbonate, and, optionally, the phase transfer catalyst to the reaction mixture, is at a temperature of at least 130° C. and for a time of 0.5 to 100 hours.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a dialkali metal salt of the dihydroxy aromatic compound having the formula M +− O—Z—O −+ M is formed in situ after adding the dihydroxy aromatic compound, the alkali metal carbonate, and, optionally, the phase transfer catalyst to the reaction mixture.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises isolating polyetherimide from the product mixture.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises washing the polyetherimide.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises drying the polyetherimide under heat, vacuum, or both.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the stoichiometric molar ratio of the substituted phthalic anhydride to the organic diamine during the contacting of the substituted phthalic anhydride and the organic diamine, and optionally adjusting the stoichiometric molar ratio by adding additional substituted phthalic anhydride or organic diamine to the reaction mixture.

16 . A method of making a polyetherimide, the method comprising:

contacting in a reaction vessel

a chlorophthalic anhydride of the formula

an organic diamine of the formula

H 2 N—R—NH 2 , and

optionally a chain terminating agent,

in a polar aprotic solvent comprising sulfolane, diphenylsulfone, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing under conditions effective to provide a reaction mixture comprising a substituted bisphthalimide of the formula

and

adding to the reaction mixture in the reaction vessel

an aromatic dihydroxy compound of the formula

HO—Z—OH,

an alkali metal carbonate,

optionally, a chain terminating agent, and

optionally, a hexaalkylguanidinium salt phase transfer catalyst;

under conditions effective to provide a product mixture comprising the polyetherimide;

wherein, in the foregoing formulas,

each R is independently meta-phenylene, para-phenylene, 4,4′-diphenylene ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and

Z is 4,4′-diphenylene isopropylidene.

17 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the reaction mixture comprises less than or equal to 5 mole percent of an impurity having a structure derived from at least one monomer prior to addition of the dihydroxy aromatic compound, the alkali metal carbonate, and, optionally, the phase transfer catalyst.

18 . A polyetherimide prepared according to the method of claim 1 .

19 . The polyetherimide of claim 18 , wherein the polyetherimide has a molecular weight of greater than or equal to 15,000 Daltons, and a polydispersity index of 2 to 5.

20 . An article comprising the polymer composition of claim 18 , optionally in combination with a second polymer.