Synthesis of the sulfonated condensed polynuclear aromatic (S-COPNA) resins as strong protonic acids

The mixture (PXG/PR=1.00) of pyrene (PR) and p-xylylene glycol (1,4-benzenedimethanol) (PXG) in the presence of 5 wt % of p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) was heated at 140 °C for 45 min under nitrogen to give the highly viscous condensed polynuclear aromatic (COPNA) resin. It was converted into an infusible and insoluble solid by further heating at 300 °C for 1 h. The obtained material was treated with fuming sulfuric acid at 80 °C for 15 h under nitrogen to give the sulfonated COPNA resin. The similar acidic resin was prepared by the reaction of phenanthrene or naphthalene with PXG in the presence of TsOH followed by sulfonation. The performance of the sulfonated polymers as the strong protonic acids was evaluated.