Chalcogenide hybrid inorganic/organic polymer resins: Amine functional prepolymers from elemental sulfur

New amine functional sulfur prepolymers were synthesized from inexpensive poly(sulfur-random-styrene) and 1,3-meta-phenylenediamine (PDA) via a proposed electrophilic aromatic substitution (SEAr) reaction. These chalcogenide hybrid inorganic/organic polymer resins show improved solubility in organic solvents. The aromatic amine functional groups were utilized to react with epoxides on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes through post-polymerization modification which resulted in crosslinked sulfur polymers.