H-bonding assisted template synthesis of a novel ladder-like organo-bridged polymethylsiloxane

A novel soluble aryl amide-bridged ladder-like polymethylsiloxane (ALPS) was synthesized via a stepwise coupling polymerization by means of H-bonding self-assembling template. The new monomer N,N′-di(4-methyldiethoxysiloxyl-phenyl)-terephthaloyl amide, prepared by dehydrocoupling reaction of N,N′-di(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-terephthaloyl amide with methyldiethoxysilane, was hydrolyzed in a dilute solution at low temperature to form a proposed ladder-like supramolecular intermediate through amido H-bonding interaction, which was further condensed to form polymer ALPS using dibuthyltindilaurate as catalyst. A combination of techniques including 1H NMR, 29Si NMR, FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), DSC, and light scattering were used to characterize the titled polymer ALPS. The results indicate the polymer ALPS possesses an ordered ladder-like architecture.