Thermal decomposition products of copoly(arylene ether sulfone)s characterized by direct pyrolysis mass spectrometry

Pyrolysis products with mass of up to 850 Da were detected by direct pyrolysis mass spectrometric (DPMS) analysis of a series of copoly(arylene ether sulfone)s (PESePPO) synthesized by nucleophilic condensation of either 4,4’-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (CDPS) or 4,4’-bis-(4-chlorophenyl sulfonyl) biphenyl (long chain dichloride, LCDC) with different molar ratios of hydroquinone (HQ) or dihydroxydiphenylsulfone (HDPS). Pyrolysis products retaining the repeating units of the initial copolymers were formed at temperatures ranging from 420º C to 470º C (near the initial decomposition temperature). At temperatures higher than 450º C were observed products containing biphenyl units, formed by the elimination process of SO2 from diphenyl sulfone bridges. Products having biphenyl and dibenzofuran moieties were detected in the mass spectra recorded at temperatures above 550º C. These units were formed by loss of hydrogen atom from diphenyl ether bridges. Although the EI (18 eV) mass spectra of the pyrolysis products of the samples investigated were very similar, it was found that the relative intensity of some ions reflects the molar composition of the copolymers analysed.