A process for removing one or more groups of the formula —S—(C═S)—ZYb, [—S—(C═S)]m—Z1Yb, —S—(C═S)—S—R″Yb or [—S—(C═S)—S]n—R′Yb from a starting polymer, which is in the form of a melt, a solution, dispersion, or a combination thereof, said process comprising:
- contacting said starting polymer containing groups Yb with one or more reagents containing groups Xa to produce a derived polymer and a byproduct containing said groups Yb, wherein said groups Xa is one or more reactive groups and said groups Yb is an extracting group and wherein said a ranges from 1 to 30 and said, b is 1 or 2, wherein:
- Z is selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, C6 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic ring, unsubstituted or substituted C1 to C18 alkylthio, SR, unsubstituted or substituted arylthio, unsubstituted or substituted C1 to C18 alkoxy, unsubstituted or substituted aryloxy, unsubstituted or substituted amino, unsubstituted or substituted C1 to C18 alkoxycarbonyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryloxycarbonyl, carboxy, unsubstituted or substituted C1 to C18 acyloxy, unsubstituted or substituted aroyloxy, unsubstituted or substituted carbamoyl, C2 to C18 dialkyl-phosphonato, diaryl-phosphonato, C1 to C18 dialkyl-phosphinato, diaryl-phosphinato, C1-C22 trialkoxysilyl, C1-C22 trialkylsilyl and a second polymer chain having a number average degree of polymerization in the range of 5 to 1000;
- Z1 is an m-valent moiety derived from a species selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl and a third polymer chain having a number average degree of polymerization in the range of 5 to 1000 wherein the connecting moieties in said polymer chain are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C18 aliphatic carbon, aromatic carbon, oxygen, sulfur and a combination thereof;
- R1 is an n-valent moiety derived from R wherein R is selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl, unsubstituted or substituted C2 to C16 alkynyl, C3 to O22 substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, C4 to C22 substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkenyl. C6 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted saturated heterocyclic ring, C5 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted unsaturated heterocyclic ring, C4 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted aromatic heterocyclic ring, C1 to C18 unsubstituted or substituted alkylthio group, and a first polymer chain having a number average degree of polymerization in the range of 5 to 1000;
- R″″ is an n-valent moiety derived from R″ wherein R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted C1-C22 alkyl, C2-C22 substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, C2-C22 substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, C3-C22 substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl, C6-C18 substituted or unsubstituted aryl, C2-C18 substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclyl, C7-C18 substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, and C7-C18 substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl wherein R and R′ are superior free radical leaving groups and R″ and R″ are inferior free radical leaving groups;
- Y selected from the group consisting of alkenyl, trialkoxysilyl, carboxy, carboxylate, —NRv3, —N+HRv3, —N+Rv4, —PRv3, —P+HRv3, —P+Rv4, dihydroxyphosphoryl, hydroxyoxidophosphoryl, phosphonato, —PRv (O)(OH), alkoxyphosphonato, aryloxyphosphonato, alkylphosphinato, —PRv (O)(O−), hydroxysulfonyl, sulfonato, hydroxysulfinyl, sulfinato, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridinyl, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridinium, oligo(alkylene oxide), a polymer chain, a polymer moiety of a crosslinked styrene-divinyl benzene particle, a polymer moiety of a crosslinked acrylic particle, a polymer moiety of a microgel, and a polymer moiety of a silica particle;
- wherein FR″ is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl;
- n, m and b are integers that independently range from 1 to 6;
- and
- wherein the substituents for the substituted groups for R, R1, R″, Z and Z1 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, tertiary amino, halo, oxo, cyano, epoxy, carboxyl, alkoxy, alkyl having 1 to 32 carbon atoms, aryl, alkenyl having 2 to 32 carbon atoms, alkynyl having from 2 to 32 carbon atoms, saturated carbocyclic rings having 3 to 14 carbon atoms, unsaturated carbocyclic rings having 4 to 14 carbon atoms, aromatic carbocyclic rings having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, saturated heterocyclic rings having 3 to 14 carbon atoms, unsaturated heterocyclic rings having 3 to 14 carbon atoms and aromatic carbocyclic rings having 6 to 14 carbon atoms;
- and;
- separating said byproduct from said derived polymer.