Acetylene-grafted resins derived from phenolics via azo coupling reaction

Novel phenolic resins with high ethynyl contents were realized via azo coupling reaction between phenol units and diazonium of 3-ethynylaniline. If Novolac and high-ortho Novolac resins were used as the starting materials directly, the ratio of ethynyl groups to phenolic rings was ca 70%; while the ratio was 100% for the resin from Friedel–Craft polycondensation of 4-(3-ethynylphenyl)salicyl alcohol. All the resins were readily soluble in acetone and ethanol, and meltable at temperatures below 100 °C. The resins underwent thermal addition-type cure with a broad exotherm of around 140–280 °C, and the starting curing temperature showed a downward drift with increase in the ethynyl content. The thermal properties of the cured resins, determined from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were considerably superior to those of Novolac- and Resole-type phenolic resins. The initial decomposition temperatures were at ca 400 °C, and the anaerobic carbon yields were ca 80% for all the resins.