Aromatic isocyanurate compound

Abstract: A novel tri-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate is defined by the following formula and useful as a crossliking agent for resin. wherein X represents -O- or -COO-; and R represents a hydrogen atom, a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be either unsubstituted or substituted with a hydroxyl group, an aryl group or an R'₃Si group (wherein a plurality of R' groups may be the same or different from each other and each represent a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a phenyl group), excepting the case wherein X is -O- and R is CH₃.

Description: The present invention relates to a novel reactive group-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate compound which is useful as a heat-resistant crosslinking agent for epoxy resins, polyester, polyether and polyurethane and which exhibits liquid crystal-like high orientation as such or as a polymeric derivative thereof. An aromatic isocyanurate structure formed by the trimerization of an organic aromatic isocyanate has been known to improve polyurethane or coating materials in various performances such as heat resistance, flame retardance, chemical resistance and film-forming properties. However, the introduction of an isocyanurate structure which contains an ether or ester group and is expected to exhibit various excellent characteristics into a synthetic polymer at an arbitrary ratio has been so difficult that only the synthesis of polyurethane from aromatic diisocyanate and polyol having various groups through trimerization has been conducted. Further, it is nearly impossible to introduce an aromatic isocyanurate into polyester, polyether or polyurethane at an arbitrary ratio. These problems can be solved by using an aromatic isocyanurate derivative having various reactive groups as a monomer or a crosslinking agent in the synthesis of a polymer. However, known aromatic isocyanurates having a reactive group are so few that they include at the most trimers of aromatic diisocyanate such as tolylene diisocyanate and diphenylmethane diisocyanate and trimethylsilyl derivatives thereof (See Tanimoto et al., Japanese Patent Publication No. 34823/1970), triaryl isocyanurate derivatives having an azidosulfonyl group [see H. Ulrich, U.S. Patent No. 3562269 (1971)] and triphenyl isocyanurate derivatives having an allyloxy or glycidyloxy group (see Japanese Patent Application No. 60265/1989). Meanwhile, no studies have been reported on the properties of a substituted aromatic isocyanurate, although A. Usanmaz ascertained by X-ray diffractometry that triphenyl isocyanurate has a layered structure in parallel to the cyanuric ring thereof [see Acta Cryst., B35 , 1117(1979)]. US-A-4243570 discloses isocyanurates which may be substituted at the 1, 3 and 5 positions by a C₁ to C₃₀ alkoxyphenyl group. The inventors of the present invention have intensively studied to succeed in the synthesis of novel reactive aromatic isocyanurates from several substituted aromatic isocyanates through selective trimerization, thus accomplishing the present invention. Namely, the present invention relates to a tri-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate represented by the following general formula (I): wherein each X represents -O- and R represents an R'₃Si group wherein the R' groups, which may be the same or different, each represent a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a phenyl group; or each X represents -COO- and R represents a hydrogen atom, a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be either unsubstituted or substituted with a hydroxyl group, an aryl group or an R'₃Si group wherein the R' groups, which may be the same or different, each represent a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a phenyl group. Now, the isocyanurate compound of the present invention will be described in more detail. The substituents of the tri-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate represented by the general formula (I) may each be present at any of meta, para and ortho positions. The tri-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate represented by the general formula (I) according to the present invention can be prepared through the selective trimerization of an isocyanate represented by the following general formula (II): wherein X and R are each as defined above with respect to the formula (I). Among the isocyanates represented by the general formula (II) which can be each a raw material of the novel isocyanurate compound according to the present invention, an isocyanate compound of the formula (II) wherein X is -COO- and R is a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which is unsubstituted or substituted with a hydroxyl group, or an aryl group can be prepared from a corresponding substituted aniline derivative. The alkyl group defined with respect to R includes CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₃H₇, i-C₃H₇, C₄H₉, C₅H₁₁, C₆H₁₃, C₇H₁₅ and C₈H₁₇ groups. The aryl group defined with respect to R includes substituted and unsubstituted phenyl and naphthyl groups. Among the isocyanates represented by the general formula (II) which can be each a raw material of the novel isocyanurate compound according to the present invention, an isocyanate compound of the formula (II) wherein X is -O- or -COO- and R is an R'₃Si group (wherein R' is as defined above) can be prepared from a corresponding hydroxyl- or carboxyl-substituted aniline according to the method of W. Mormann et al. [see Synthesis, 990 (1988)]. The group defined with respect to R' includes CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₃H₇, i-C₃H₇, n-C₄H₉, t-C₄H₉ and phenyl groups. The three R' groups may be either the same or composed of two or three of the groups described above. Methods of aromatic isocyanurate synthesis include the trimerization of an aromatic isocyanate [see I. C. Kogan, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 78 , 4911 (1956), J. I. Jones et al., J. Chem. Soc., 4392 (1957), S. L. Shapiro et al., J. Org. Chem. 26 , 1600 (1963), and S. Herbstman, J. Org. Chem., 30 , 1259 (1965)]. However, we can find neither example with respect to the trimerization of a substituted aromatic isocyanate as described above, nor that with respect to other preparation process of the trimer thereof. Particularly, the conversion of an isocyanate compound having a reactive substituent as represented by the above general formula (II) into an aromatic isocyanurate necessitates the use of a selective trimerization catalyst. The inventors of the present invention have already found that cesium fluoride and tetraalkylammonium fluoride catalysts exhibit high selectivity and high activity for the trimerization. The use of such a catalyst is also preferable in the present invention. Further, other trimerization catalysts such as tertiary amines may be used. The isocyanurate compound of the present invention having an R'₃Si group (wherein R' is as defined above) can be easily converted into a novel OH- or COOH-substituted aromatic isocyanurate compound by acid hydrolysis. The novel aromatic isocyanurate having a reactive substituent according to the present invention permits the introduction of an aromatic isocyanurate skeleton into a general-purpose or engineering plastic such as polyester, polyurethane or polyether at an arbitrary ratio through various linkages by virtue of its reactivity. The introduction of such a skeleton improves these polymers in respect of heat resistance, flame retardance, chemical resistance and film-forming properties. The substituted aromatic isocyanurate according to the present invention has been ascertained to exhibit high orientability owing to the molecular interaction thereof, so that the utilization thereof as a novel liquid crystal compound is expectable. The present invention will now be described in more detail by referring to the following Examples, though the present invention is not limited to them. Example 1 0.61 g (4.0 mmol) of cesium fluoride was weighed into a flask and dried under a reduced pressure at 130°C for 30 minutes. 41.4 g (0.20 mol) of 4-trimethylsilyloxyphenyl isocyanate was added into the flask and the contents were vigorously stirred at 130°C for 5 minutes. The formed solid was dissolved in methylene chloride and the catalyst was filtered out. The solvent was distilled off under a reduced pressure to give 41.2 g (yield: 98.0%) of tris(4-trimethylsilyloxyphenyl) isocyanurate (hereinafter referred to as "TSOPI"). (Results of analysis) mp: 202 to 204°C IR(KBr): 1720 cm⁻¹(isocyanurate), 1603 cm⁻¹ (phenyl), 1270, 1250 cm⁻¹ (silyl ether) ¹H-NMR (CDC1₃): 0.25 ppm (s, 27H, Me₃Si), 6.8 to 7.3 ppm (m, 12H, phenylene) As shown above, the spectral data well correspond to TSOPI. Example 2 10 ml of 1N hydrochloric acid was added to 200 ml of a solution of 26.5 g (0.20 mol) of the TSOPI prepared in Example 1 in methanol. The obtained mixture was reacted at a room temperature for 30 minutes and freed from the solvent to give 24.5 g of a solid. This solid (crude crystal) was dissolved in 100 ml of methanol and 30 ml of chloroform was gradually added to the obtained solution to give 21.5 g of tris(4-hydroxyphenyl) isocyanurate (hereinafter referred to as "THPI") in a yield of 81.0%. (Results of analysis) mp: >300°C IR(KBr): 3400 cm⁻¹ (hydroxyl group), 1695 cm⁻¹ (isocyanurate) ¹H-NMR(d-acetone) δ: 6.8 to 7.5 ppm (m, 12H, phenylene) ° elemental analysis: as C₂₁H₁₅N₃O₆ H C N calculated (%) 3.73 62.22 10.37 found (%) 3.64 61.56 9.95 As shown above, the spectral data and the results of the elemental analysis well correspond to THPI. Further, the THPI was dissolved in ethyl acetate or N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and the obtained solution was cast on a glass plate. The solvent was gradually evaporated off to give a transparent heat-resistant thin film. Example 3 4 ml (4 mmol) of a 1M solution of tetrabutyl-ammonium fluoride in THF was added to 50.1 g (0.20 mol) of 4-trimethylsilyloxycarbonylphenyl isocyanate. When the obtained mixture was heated to 70°C and vigorously stirred, the system solidified after 30 seconds. Thereafter, the system was heated for one minute to give a solid, which was washed with anhydrous ether to give 45.6 g (yield: 91.0%) of tris(4-trimethylsilyloxycarbonylphenyl) isocyanurate (hereinafter referred to as "TSCPI"). (Results of analysis) mp: 227 to 229°C IR(KBr): 1720 cm⁻¹ (isocyanurate), 1705 cm⁻¹ (ester), 1310, 1295 cm⁻¹ (silyl ester) ¹H-NMR(CDCl₃): 0.40 ppm (s, 27H, Me₃Si), 7.4 to 7.6, 8.1 to 8.3 ppm (m, 12H, phenylene) As shown above, the spectral data well correspond to TSCPI. Example 4 18 ml of 1N hydrochloric acid was added to 200 ml of a solution of 22.5 g (0.03 mol) of the TSCPI prepared in Example 5 in acetone and the obtained mixture was reacted at a room temperature for 10 minutes. The reaction mixture was freed from the solvent and washed with water to give 12.7 g (yield: 86.5%) of a solid. This solid (crude crystal) was dissolved in 100 ml of methanol, followed by the gradual addition of 30 ml of chloroform, to give 8.3 g of tris(4-carboxylphenyl)isocyanurate (hereinafter referred to as "TCPI"). (Results of analysis) mp: >300°C IR(KBr): 3000 to 3500 cm⁻¹ (carboxyl), 1696 to 1720 cm⁻¹ (isocyanurate, carboxyl) ¹H-NMR(d-DMSO) δ: 7.5 to 7.8, 8.0 to 8.3 ppm (m, 12H, phenylene) As shown above, the spectral data and the results of the elemental analysis well correspond to TCPI. Example 5 0.61 g (4.0 mmol) of cesium fluoride was weighed into a flask and dried under a reduced pressure at 130°C for 30 minutes, followed by the addition of 35.4 g (0.20 mol) of 4-methoxycarbonylphenyl isocyanate. The contents were vigorously stirred at 130°C for one minutes and the formed solid was dissolved in methylene chloride. The catalyst and a by-product (dimer) were filtered out and the solvent was distilled off under a reduced pressure to give 30.4 g (yield: 85.8%) of tris(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl) isocyanurate (hereinafter referred to as "TMCPI"). (Results of analysis) mp: >320°C IR(KBr): 2955 cm⁻¹ (methyl), 1718 cm⁻¹ (isocyanurate) ¹H-NMR (CDCl₃) δ: 3.95 ppm (s, 9H, Me), 7.4 to 7.7, 8.1 to 8.4 ppm (m. 12H, phenylene) ° elemental analysis: as C₂₇H₂₁N₃O₉ H C N calculated (%) 3.98 61.02 7.91 found (%) 3.90 60.95 7.93 As shown above, the spectral data and the results of the elemental analysis well correspond to TMCPI.

Claims: A tri-substituted triphenyl isocyanurate represented by the following general formula (I): wherein each X represents -O- and R represents an R'₃Si group wherein the R' groups, which may be the same or different, each represent a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a phenyl group; or each X represents -COO- and R represents a hydrogen atom, a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be either unsubstituted or substituted with a hydroxyl group, an aryl group or an R'₃Si group wherein the R' groups, which may be the same or different, each represent a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a phenyl group.

Inventors: ENDO TAKESHI, NAMBU YOKO, ENDO, TAKESHI, NAMBU, YOKO
Applicants: ASAHI DENKA KOGYO KK, ASAHI DENKA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1991
Main classification: C07D251
IPC codes: C08K5, C07D251, C07F7