Preparation of Functionalized Copolymers by Thermal Processes: Porphyrination and Fullerenation of a commercial Polycarbonate

The preparation of copolycarbonates containing porphyrin or fullerene units in the main chain is described. The syntheses were performed inserting the “special groups” in bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) molecules by prolonged heating at 240 °C of PC mixtures with different amounts (5-30 wt %) of porphyrin or fullerene derivatives. To this end, four porphyrins with one or two phenolic [5-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(p- decanoxyphenyl)porphyrin (II) and 5,15-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl) -10,-20-bis(p-decanoxyphenyl) porphyrin (III)] or alcoholic [5-[p-(11-hydroxy) undecanoxyphenyl]-10,15,20-tris-(p-dodecanoxyphenyl) porphyrin (IV) and 5,15-bis[p-(11-hydroxy) undecanoxyphenyl]-10,20-bis(p-dodecan-oxyphenyl)porphyrin (V)]-OH groups and 61-(p-hydroxyphenyl)methano-1,2-fullerene[60] were prepared. Composition and structure of the obtained materials were inferred by GPC, UV-visible, and MALDI-TOF analysis. Our results suggest that thermal activated exchange reactions provoke a gradual and homogeneous porphyrination or fullerenation of the polymer chains in the entire mass range. It was also ascertained that, under our conditions, the outer-inner reactions produce only a moderate mass reduction of the PC.