Fragmentation of polycarbonate macroinitiators in solution and in the bulk state

The diphenylethane initiator 3,4-diethyl-3,4-(p-methoxyphenyl)-hexane (T–OCH3) was synthesized. By cocondensation of bisphenol A or C and the bisphenol derivative (“T”) of T–OCH3 with phosgene, polycarbonate macroinitiators PC(TxA1-x) and PC(TxC1-x) with different compositions x were made. The thermal fragmentation of T–OCH3 and the copolycarbonates was investigated with and without a radical scavenger both in solution and in the bulk state. The primary dissociation of T–OCH3 is a monomolecular Arrhenius process with a characteristic temperature of T* (τ = 1h) = 140°C (τ: average life time of the intact molecule). When the radicals are not intercepted, the dissociation is excessively revert…