Synthesis and application of polyphenylene sulphides: problems and solutions

This review presents current information regarding the advancement of synthesis and application of polyphenylene sulfides (PPS). The molecular weight characteristics of PPS are significantly influenced by synthesis conditions such as residual water content in the reaction mixture, the nature of the solvent, synthesis time, and temperature. In the past 10–15 years, there has been significant development in the direct functionalization of aromatic compounds with sulfur atoms in the presence of oxidizers and under UV irradiation. This method has been shown to produce linear polyphenylene sulfides with molecular weights up to 10000 under milder conditions. The review also covers applications of PPS in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, electrical, additive manufacturing, gas separation membranes and oil-in-water emulsions. An emerging application is the use of polyphenylene sulfide as substrates for photocatalysts in the oxidation reactions of organic compounds.