Synthesis and properties of a liquid oligomeric cyanate ester resin

A multiple aromatic ether-containing cyanate ester resin system with high thermal stability and superb processability has been developed. The oligomeric monomer was prepared via a hydroxyl-terminated intermediate synthesized from a modified Ullmann synthesis with bisphenol A and 1,3-dibromobenzene in the presence of potassium carbonate and a catalytic amount of a copper (I) complex in N,N-dimethylformamide. The hydroxyl-terminated intermediate was end-capped with the cyanate moiety by reaction with cyanogen bromide and triethylamine in dry acetone resulting in a resinous material at ambient temperatures. The thermo-oxidative and water absorption properties were determined for the new cyanate ester polymer as well as its flexural strength, flexural modulus and Rockwell hardness. Mechanical tests were also conducted on the commercially available 2,2′-bis(4-cyanatophenyl)isopropylidene cyanate ester resin to investigate the effect of introducing an oligomeric spacer between the terminal end groups on the properties of the material.