Polymerization by phase transfer catalysis. 25. Synthesis of polycarbonates and polythiocarbonates derived from diphenols containing germanium and silicon in the main chain

Polycarbonates and polythiocarbonates derived from diphenols containing Si or Ge, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-dimethyl-germane (I), bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-diphenyl-germane (II), bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-dimethyl-silane (III), and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-diphenyl-silane (IV), and phosgene (a) or thiophosgene (b), respectively, were synthesized under phase transfer conditions using several phase transfer catalysts. The results were evaluated by the yields and η_inh values, showing that this technique was effective for the synthesis of this kind of polymers. The yields were low compared with those obtained with other diphenols, due probably to the use in this work of stoichiometric amounts of NaOH to avoid the decomposition of the diphenol, which hindered a salting out effect of the diphenolate to the organic phase.