Friedel-Crafts Polyketones: Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Unsaturated Polyketones and Copolyketones Based on Difurfurylidene Cycloheptanone

Abstract

A new type of unsaturated polyketones and copolyketones having cycloheptanone moiety in a p-conjugated main chain were synthesized via Friedel-Crafts reaction through the polymerization of the monomer: 2,7-bis furfurylidene cycloheptanone I with different diacid chlorides. The model compound was synthesized by reacting I with benzoyl chloride and characterized by 1H-NMR, IR, and elemental analyses. The polyketones and copolyketones were soluble easily in protic solvents like H2SO4 and trifluoroacetic acid. The thermal properties of these polyketones and copolyketones were evaluated and correlated to their structural units by TGA and DSC measurements. The crystallinity of some polymers was tested by X-ray analyses; also the morphological properties of selected examples of poly and copolyketones were detected by SEM. All the polyketones were tested for their biological activity against bacteria, fungi, and yeast. It was observed that the majority of the polyketones and its copolymers synthesized can be used as antibacterial and antifungal agents.