Provided is a method of treating a vinyl aromatic resin (I) comprising (a) bringing the vinyl aromatic resin (I) into contact with an alcohol, and maintaining the contact between the vinyl aromatic resin (I) and the alcohol for 10 minutes or more, and (b) bringing the vinyl aromatic resin into contact with a base. wherein the vinyl aromatic resin (I), prior to steps (a) and (b), has benzyl chloride groups,
benzyl alcohol groups, and methylene bridge groups.

Provided is vinyl aromatic resin comprising benzyl alcohol groups, benzyl ether groups, and methylene bridge groups, wherein the mole ratio of the benzyl ether groups to the methylene bridge groups is from 0.002:1 to 0.1:1, wherein the vinyl aromatic resin either has no amine groups or else has amine groups in a mole ratio of the sum of all amine groups to aromatic rings of 0.1:1 or lower.

Provided is vinyl aromatic resin comprising benzyl alcohol groups, benzyl ether groups, and methylene bridge groups, wherein the mole ratio of the benzyl ether groups to the methylene bridge groups is from 0.002:1 to 0.1:1, wherein the vinyl aromatic resin either has no amine groups or else has amine groups in a mole ratio of the sum of all amine groups to aromatic rings of 0.1:1 or lower.

Provided is vinyl aromatic resin comprising benzyl alcohol groups, benzyl ether groups, and methylene bridge groups, wherein the mole ratio of the benzyl ether groups to the methylene bridge groups is from 0.002:1 to 0.1:1, wherein the vinyl aromatic resin either has no amine groups or else has amine groups in a mole ratio of the sum of all amine groups to aromatic rings of 0.1:1 or lower.

A method of solid-state synthesis of peptides that provides a polymeric solid-state synthesis support, attaches a first amino acid to said support to form the first amino acid molecule of the desired peptide chain, attaches additional amino acids to form the desired peptide chain, characterized in that the polymeric solid-state synthesis support is a styrenic polymer containing at least 50 mol % divinylbenzene monomer units, the styrenic polymer being functionalized with chloromethyl and/or benzyloxybenzyl alcohol and/or amino moieties, and having porosity 60-90% and medium pore diameter ranging from 10 to 80 nm. A functionalized styrenic polymer is claimed.

A method of solid-state synthesis of peptides that provides a polymeric solid-state synthesis support, attaches a first amino acid to said support to form the first amino acid molecule of the desired peptide chain, attaches additional amino acids to form the desired peptide chain, characterized in that the polymeric solid-state synthesis support is a styrenic polymer containing at least 50 mol % divinylbenzene monomer units, the styrenic polymer being functionalized with chloromethyl and/or benzyloxybenzyl alcohol and/or amino moieties, and having porosity 60-90% and medium pore diameter ranging from 10 to 80 nm. A functionalized styrenic polymer is claimed.

The electrochemical energy conversion system of the present disclosure includes an anode, a cathode, and an ion exchange membrane including a polymer having an aromatic polymer chain and an alkylated substrate including an alkyl chain, and at least one ionic group. The alkylated substrate is bound to at least one aromatic group in the polymer chain via Friedel-Crafts alkylation of the at least one aromatic group. The alkylation reaction utilizes a haloalkylated tertiary alcohol or a haloalkylated alkene as a precursor. In the presence of an acid catalyst, a carbocation is generated in the precursor which reacts with the aromatic rings of the polymer chain. The at least one ionic group is then replaced with a desired cationic or anionic group using a substitution reaction. The membranes exhibit advantageous stability achieved through a simplified and scalable reaction scheme.

The electrochemical energy conversion system of the present disclosure includes an anode, a cathode, and an ion exchange membrane including a polymer having an aromatic polymer chain and an alkylated substrate including an alkyl chain, and at least one ionic group. The alkylated substrate is bound to at least one aromatic group in the polymer chain via Friedel-Crafts alkylation of the at least one aromatic group. The alkylation reaction utilizes a haloalkylated tertiary alcohol or a haloalkylated alkene as a precursor. In the presence of an acid catalyst, a carbocation is generated in the precursor which reacts with the aromatic rings of the polymer chain. The at least one ionic group is then replaced with a desired cationic or anionic group using a substitution reaction. The membranes exhibit advantageous stability achieved through a simplified and scalable reaction scheme.

The invention provides a process for preparing bromine-containing polymers, comprising a Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of pentabromobenzyl halide with a polymer reactant which contains one or more six-membered aromatic ring(s) in its repeat unit, in the presence of at least one Friedel-Crafts catalyst. The so-formed bromine-containing polymers, having pendent CH.sub.2C.sub.6Br.sub.5 groups attached to at least a portion of the six-membered aromatic rings of the polymer, with a carbon ring atom of said six-membered aromatic ring being bonded to the aliphatic carbon of said CH.sub.2C.sub.6Br.sub.5 pendent group, are also provided. These bromine-containing polymers are useful as flame retarding agents.

The invention provides a process for preparing bromine-containing polymers, comprising a Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of pentabromobenzyl halide with a polymer reactant which contains one or more six-membered aromatic ring(s) in its repeat unit, in the presence of at least one Friedel-Crafts catalyst. The so-formed bromine-containing polymers, having pendent CH.sub.2C.sub.6Br.sub.5 groups attached to at least a portion of the six-membered aromatic rings of the polymer, with a carbon ring atom of said six-membered aromatic ring being bonded to the aliphatic carbon of said CH.sub.2C.sub.6Br.sub.5 pendent group, are also provided. These bromine-containing polymers are useful as flame retarding agents.