Abstract: The present invention provides novel 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-alkyl onium salts as illustrated by 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-tridecyl(1,2-dimethylimidazolium)bromide and a process for preparation thereof by hydroxyalkylating acetoacetate to the corresponding hyroxyalkylacetoacetate, dealkoxycarbonylating the hydroxyalkyl acetoacetate to ?-hydroxyalkan-2-one and contacting the ?-hydroxyalkan-2-one with phenol in the presence of an acidic catalyst to give 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkanol, brominating the 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkanol to 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkyl bromide, quaternizing 1,2-dimethylimidazole with the 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkyl bromide to 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkyl(1,2-dimethylimidazolium)bromide. The products can be used as reactive modifiers for layered phyllosilicates that can be used in the preparation of polymer-nanocomposites, wherein the said polymers are prepared from 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane as one of the reacting monomers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer-phyllosilicate nanocomposite composition comprising (a) 10-99.95% by weight of a matrix polymer and (b) 0.05-90% by weight of a phyllosilicate selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic synthetic phyllosilicates and natural phyllosilicates intercalated with a modifier, an alkylonium ion having reactive moiety. The phyllosilicate is substantially homogeneously dispersed and/or exfoliated throughout the polymer matrix as nanosized particles and the alkylonium ion is substantially covalently linked to the matrix polymer chains. The present invention further provides a process for the preparation of polymer-phyllosilicate nanocomposite.