Synthesis and characterization of new highly organosoluble poly(etherimide)s derived from 1,1‐bis{4‐[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐phenylcyclohexane} dianhydride

A new bulky pendent bis(ether anhydride), 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐phenylcyclohexane dianhydride, was prepared in three steps, starting from the nitrodisplacement of 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐4‐phenylcyclohexane with 4‐nitrophthalonitrile to form bis(ether dinitrile), followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of new poly(ether imide)s were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) with various diamines by a conventional two‐stage synthesis including polyaddition and subsequent chemical cyclodehydration. The resulting poly(ether imide)s had inherent viscosities of 0.50–0.73 dL g^?1. The gel permeation chromatography measurements revealed that the polymers had number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights of up to 57,000 and 130,000, respectively. All the polymers showed typical amorphous diffraction patterns. All of the poly(ether imide)s showed excellent solubility in comparison with the other polyimides derived from adamantane, norbornane, cyclododecane, and methanohexahydroindane and were readily dissolved in various solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N‐dimethylformamide, pyridine, cyclohexanone, tetrahydrofuran, and even chloroform. These polymers had glass‐transition temperatures of 226–255 °C. Most of the polymers could be dissolved in chloroform in as high as a 30 wt % concentration. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that all polymers were stable up to 450 °C, with 10% weight losses recorded from 458 to 497 °C in nitrogen. These transparent, tough, and flexible polymer films could be obtained by solution casting from DMAc solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths of 79–103 MPa and tensile moduli of 1.5–2.1 GPa. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2066–2074, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of new cardo polyimides prepared from 5,5-Bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-4,7-methanohexahydroindane

A new cardo diamine monomer, 5,5-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-4,7-methanohexahydroindane (II), was prepared in two steps with high yield. The monomer was reacted with six different aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to obtain the corresponding cardo polyimides via the poly(amic acid) precursors and thermal or chemical imidization. All the poly(amic acid)s could be cast from their DMAc solutions and thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough polyimide films which were further characterized by x-ray and mechanical analysis. All of the polymers were amorphous and the polyimide films had a tensile strength range of 89–123 MPa, an elongation at break range of 6–10%, and a tensile modulus range of 1.9–2.5 GPa. Polymers V_c, V_e, and V_f exhibited good solubility in a variety of solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), DMAc, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), pyridine, γ-butyrolactone, and even in tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. These polyimides showed glass-transition temperatures between 274 and 299°C and decomposition temperatures at 10% mass loss temperatures ranging from 490 to 521°C and 499 to 532°C in nitrogen and air atmospheres, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2815–2821, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of fluorinated polyimides. 1. Derived from novel 4,4″‐bis(aminophenoxy)‐3,3″‐trifluoromethyl terphenyl

A new diamine monomer, 4,4″‐bis(aminophenoxy)‐3,3″‐trifluoromethyl terphenyl (ATFT) was synthesized that led to a number of novel fluorinated polyimides by solution as well as thermal imidization routes when reacted with different commercially available dianhydrides like pyromellatic dianhydride (PMDA), benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BTDA), or 2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (6FDA). The polyimides ATFT/BTDA and ATFT/6FDA derived from both routes were soluble in several organic solvents such as N,N‐dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The polyimide ATFT/PMDA was only soluble in N‐methylpyrollidone. The polyimide films had low water absorption of 0.3–0.7%, low dielectric constants of 2.72–3.3 at 1 Hz, refractive indices of 1.594–1.647 at 589.3 nm, and optical transparency >85%. These polyimides showed very high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures (5% weight loss) up to 532 °C in air and good isothermal stability; only 7% weight loss occurred at 400 °C after 7 h, and less than 0.6% weight loss was observed at 315 °C for 5 h. Transparent thin films of these polyimides exhibited tensile strengths up to 112 MPa, a modulus of elasticity up to 3.05 GPa, and elongation at break up to 21% depending on the repeating unit structure. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1016–1027, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic poly(ether sulfone imide)s derived from sulfonyl bis(ether anhydride)s and aromatic diamines

Two sulfonyl group-containing bis(ether anhydride)s, 4,4′-[sulfonylbis(1,4-phenylene)dioxy]diphthalic anhydride ( IV ) and 4,4′-[sulfonylbis(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)dioxy]diphthalic anhydride (Me- IV ), were prepared in three steps starting from the nucleophilic nitrodisplacement reaction of the bisphenolate ions of 4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol and 4,4′-sulfonylbis(2,6-dimethylphenol) with 4-nitrophthalonitrile in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). High-molar-mass aromatic poly(ether sulfone imide)s were synthesized via a conventional two-stage procedure from the bis(ether anhydride)s and various aromatic diamines. The inherent viscosities of the intermediate poly(ether sulfone amic acid)s were in the ranges of 0.30–0.47 dL/g for those from IV and 0.64–1.34 dL/g for those from Me- IV. After thermal imidization, the resulting two series of poly(ether sulfone imide)s had inherent viscosities of 0.25–0.49 and 0.39–1.19 dL/g, respectively. Most of the polyimides showed distinct glass transitions on their differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves, and their glass transition temperatures (T_g) were recorded between 223–253 and 252–288°C, respectively. The results of thermogravimetry (TG) revealed that all the poly(ether sulfone imide)s showed no significant weight loss before 400°C. The methyl-substituted polymers showed higher T_g's but lower initial decomposition temperatures and less solubility compared to the corresponding unsubstituted polymers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1649–1656, 1998     

Synthesis and properties of novel poly(arylene ether)s and poly(arylene thioether)s based on a pyridazine biphenol or a phthalazine biphenol

Novel sulfur‐containing biphenol monomers were prepared in high yields by the reaction of 4‐mercaptophenol with chloropyridazine or chlorophthalazine compounds. High‐molecular‐weight poly(arylene ether)s were synthesized by a nucleophilic substitution reaction between these sulfur‐containing monomers and activated difluoro aromatic compounds. The inherent viscosities of these polymers ranged from 0.34 to 0.93 dL/g. The poly(pyridazine)s exhibited glass‐transition temperatures greater than 165 °C. The poly(phthalazine)s showed higher glass‐transition temperatures than the poly(pyridazine)s. A polymer synthesized from a bisphthalazinebiphenol and bis(4‐fluorophenyl)sulfone had the highest glass‐transition temperature (240 °C). The thermal stabilities of the poly(pyridazine)s and poly(phthalazine)s showed similar patterns of decomposition, with no significant weight loss below 390 °C. The poly(phthalazine)s were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform, and the poly(pyridazine)s were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as N,N′‐dimethylacetamide. The soluble poly(pyridazine)s and poly(phthalazine)s could be cast into flexible films from solution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 262–268, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of phthalazinone containing poly(arylene ether)s via a novel N–C coupling reaction

High‐molecular‐weight poly(phthalazinone)s with very high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) were synthesized via a novel N–C coupling reaction. New bisphthalazinone monomers ( 7a–e ) were synthesized from 2‐(4‐chlorobenzoyl) phthalic acid in two steps. Poly(phthalazinone)s, having inherent viscosities in the range of 0.34–0.91 dL/g, were prepared by the reaction of the bis(phthalazinone) monomers with an activated aryl halide in a dipolar aprotic solvent in the presence of potassium carbonate. The poly(phthalazinone)s exhibited T_g's greater than 230 °C. polymer 8b synthesized from diphenyl biphenol and bis(4‐flurophenyl) sulfone demonstrated the highest T_g of 297 °C. Thermal stabilities of the poly(phthalazinone)s were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. All the poly(phthalazinone)s showed a similar pattern of decomposition with no weight loss below 450 °C in nitrogen. The temperatures of 5% weight loss were observed to be about 500 °C. The poly(phthalazinone)s containing 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol and 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphenol and diphenyl ether linkage were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform. Other poly‐(phthalazinone)s were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as N,N′‐dimethylacetamide. The soluble poly(phthalazinone)s can be cast as flexible films from solution. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2481–2490, 2003     

Synthesis and characterization of new highly organosoluble poly(ether imide)s based on 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride

A new bis(ether anhydride), 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride ( 3 ), was prepared in three steps: the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)propane, the alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile), and the subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of new highly soluble poly(ether imide)s with tetramethyl and isopropylidene groups were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) 3 with various diamines by a conventional two‐stage synthesis including polyaddition and chemical cyclodehydration. The resulting poly(ether imide)s had inherent viscosities of 0.54–0.73 dL g^?1. Gel permeation chromatography measurements revealed that the polymers had number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights of up to 54,000 and 124,000, respectively. All the polymers showed typical amorphous diffraction patterns. All of the poly(ether imide)s showed excellent solubility and were readily dissolved in various solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, pyridine, cyclohexanone, tetrahydrofuran, and even chloroform. Most of the polymers could be dissolved with chloroform concentrations as high as 30 wt %. These polymers had glass‐transition temperatures of 244–282 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that all polymers were stable, with 10% weight losses recorded above 463 °C in nitrogen. These transparent, tough, and flexible polymer films were obtained through solution casting from N,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths of 81–102 MPa and tensile moduli of 1.8–2.0 GPa. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2556–2563, 2002     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ether imide)s based on the bis(ether anhydride)s from hydroquinone and its derivatives

Four bis(ether anhydride)s, 4,4′‐(1,4‐phenylenedioxy)diphthalic anhydride (IV), 4,4′‐(2,5‐tolylenedioxy)‐diphthalic anhydride (Me‐IV), 4,4′‐(2‐chloro‐1,4‐phenylenedioxy)diphthalic anhydride (Cl‐IV), and 4,4′‐(2,5‐biphenylenedioxy)diphthalic anhydride (Ph‐IV), were prepared in three steps starting from the nucleophilic nitrodisplacement reaction of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with the potassium phenoxides of hydroquinone and various substituted hydroquinones such as methylhydroquinone, chlorohydroquinone, and phenylhydroquinone in N,N‐dimethylformamide, followed by alkaline hydrolysis and dehydration. Four series of poly(ether imide)s were prepared from bis(ether anhydride)s with various aromatic diamines by a classical two‐step procedure. The inherent viscosities of the intermediate poly(amic acid)s were in the range of 0.40–2.63 dL/g. Except for those derived from p‐phenylenediamine and benzidine, almost all the poly(amic acid)s could be solution‐cast and thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough polyimide films. Introduction of the chloro or phenyl substituent leads to a decreased crystallinity and an increased solubility of the polymers. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of these polyimides were recorded in the range of 204–263°C. In general, the methyl‐ and chloro‐substituted polyimides exhibited relatively higher T_gs, whereas the phenyl‐substituted ones exhibited slightly lower T_gs compared to the corresponding nonsubstituted ones. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) showed that 10% weight loss temperatures of all the polymers were above 500°C either in nitrogen or in air. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 665–675, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides derived from 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)2,5-di-tert-butylbenzene

Novel aromatic polyimides containing symmetric, bulky di-tert-butyl substituents unit were synthesized from 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy)2,5-di-tert-butylbenzene (BADTB) and various aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides by the conventional two-stage procedure that included ring-opening polyaddition in a polar solvent such as N,N-dimethylacetamide to give poly(amic acid)s, followed by cyclodehydration to polyimides. The diamine was prepared through the nucleophilic displacement of 2,5-di-tert-butylhydroquinone with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃, followed by catalytic reduction. Depending on the dianhydrides used, the poly(amic acid)s obtained had inherent viscosities of 0.83–1.88 dL g⁻¹. Most of the polyimides formed transparent, flexible, and tough films. Tensile strength and elongation at break of the BADTB-based polyimide films ranged from 68–93 MPa and 7–11%, respectively. The polyimide derived from 4,4′-hexafluoro-isopropylidenebisphathalic anhydride had better solubility than the other polyimides. These polyimides had glass transition temperatures between 242–298°C and 10% mass loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 481–520°C in nitrogen. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1527–1534, 1997     

Poly(arylene ether)s and poly(arylene thioether)s containing the 1,2-dihydro-4-phenyl(2H)- phthalazinone moiety

A series of new high molecular weight poly(arylene ether)s containing the 1,2-dihydro-4-phenyl(2H)phthalazinone moiety have been synthesized. The inherent viscosities of these polymers are in the range of 0.33–0.64 dL/g. They are amorphous and readily soluble in chloroform, DMF, and DMAc. The glass transition temperatures of the polymers range from 241 to 320°C and the 5% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen atmosphere range from 473 to 517°C. The hydroxy group in the monomer 1,2-dihydro-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)(2H)phthalazin-1-one has been selectively transformed into the N,N′-dimethylthiocarbamate group, which was then rearranged to give the S-(N,N′-dimethylcarbamate) group via the Newman–Kwart rearrangement reaction. A series of poly(arylene thioether)s containing the 1,2-dihydro-4-phenyl(2H)phthalazinone moiety have also been synthesized via two types of reactions, a N C coupling reaction and a one-pot reaction between the S-(N,N′-dimethylcarbamate) and activated dihalo compounds, in diphenyl sulfone in the presence of a cesium carbonate and calcium carbonate mixture. These poly(arylene thioether)s also have high glass transition temperatures (ranging from 217–303°C) and high thermal stabilities. Compared with their poly(ether) analogs, the poly(arylene thioether)s have glass transition temperatures several degrees lower, which is attributed to the more flexible C S C bonds. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36 : 455–460, 1998     

Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyimides from 2,2-bis(4-aminophenyl)cycloalkane derivatives

New aromatic diamines [(1) and (2)] containing polycycloalkane structures between two benzene rings were synthesized by HCl-catalyzed condensation reaction of aniline hydrochloride and corresponding polycycloalkanone derivatives. The structures of diamines were identified by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The polyimides were synthesized from the obtained diamines with various aromatic dianhydrides by one-step polymerization in m-cresol. The inherent viscosities of the resulting polyimides were in the range of 0.34–1.02 dL/g. The polyimides showed good thermal stabilities and solubility. All the polymers were readily soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, m-cresol, tetrachloroethane, etc. Some of them were soluble even in chloroform at room temperature. The glass transition temperatures were observed in the range of 323–363°C, and all of the polymers were stable up to 400°C under nitrogen atmosphere. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3449–3454, 1999     

Poly(ether imide)s derived from phthalazinone‐containing dianhydrides

An unsymmetrical and noncoplanar heterocyclic dianhydride was synthesized from a bisphenol‐like phthalazinone, 4‐(4‐hydroxylphenyl)‐2,3‐phthalazin‐1‐one, and a series of novel poly(ether imide)s based on it, with intrinsic viscosities of 0.67–1.42 dL/g, were obtained by one‐step solution polymerization in m‐cresol at 200 °C for 20 h. The polymers were readily soluble in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone and m‐cresol. The poly(ether imide)s derived from 4,4′‐oxydianiline and 4,4′‐methylenedianiline were also very soluble in chloroform, 1,1′,2,2′‐tetrachloroethane, and N,N‐dimethylacetamide. The glass‐transition temperatures were 289–326 °C, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. All the degradation temperatures for 5% weight loss occurred above 482 °C in nitrogen. The tensile strength of thin films of some of the polymers varied from 103.1 to 121.4 MPa. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6089–6097, 2004     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides,polyamides and poly(amide-imide)s from ether diamine having the spirobichroman structure

A novel spirobichroman unit containing dietheramine, 6,6′-bis(4-aminophenoxy)-4,4,4′,4′,7,7′-hexamethyl-2,2′-spirobichroman ( 3 ), was prepared by the nucleophilic substitution of 6,6′-dihydroxy-4,4,4′,4′,7,7′-hexamethyl-2,2′-spirobichroman with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃ followed by hydrazine catalytic reduction of the intermediate dinitro compound. A series of polyimides were synthesized from diamine 3 and various aromatic dianhydrides by a conventional two-stage procedure through the formation of poly(amic-acid)s followed by thermal imidization. The intermediate poly(amic-acid)s had inherent viscosities of 1.00–2.78 dL/g. All the poly-(amic-acid)s could be thermally cyclodehydrated into flexible and tough polyimide films, and some polyimides were soluble in polar solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). These polyimides had glass transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 236–256°C, and 10% weight loss occurred up to 450°C. Furthermore, a series of polyamides and poly(amide-imide)s with inherent viscosities of 0.71–2.29 dL/g were prepared by direct polycondensation of the diamine 3 with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids and imide ring-containing dicarboxylic acids by means of triphenyl phosphite and pyridine. All the polyamides and poly(amide-imide)s were readily soluble in polar solvents such as DMAc, and tough and flexible films could be cast from their DMAc solutions. These polymers had glass transition temperatures in the range of 137–228°C and 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 419–443°C in air and 404–436°C in nitrogen, respectively. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1487–1497, 1997     

Synthesis and characterization of new AB-type poly(etherimide)s containing bisphenol moieties

A series of new AB-type poly(etherimide)s having bisphenol-type moiety was prepared by the one-pot polyimidization using triphenylphosphite(TPP) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone(NMP)/pyridine solution at 150°C. Complete cyclodehydration was observed in the polymerizations as well as in model reactions. Polymers were obtained with inherent viscosities in the 0.27–0.49 dL/g range. The M_n and M_w/M_n of poly[4-(1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenylenehexafluoro-isopropylidene-1,4-phenylene)oxyphthalimide] (4d) with η_inh = 0.49 dL/g were 73,400 g/mol and 1.5, respectively. Most polymers could readily be dissolved in common organic solvents such as DMAc, NMP, and m-cresol. The polymer 4d was soluble even in chloroform. These polymers had glass transition temperatures between 205 and 235°C, and 5% weight loss temperatures in the range of 511–532°C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3530–3536, 1999     

New organo‐soluble aromatic polyimides based on 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromo‐2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride and aromatic diamines

New aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, having isopropylidene and bromo‐substituted arylene ether structure 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromo‐2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride, was synthesized by the reaction of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromobisphenol A, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). The novel aromatic polyetherimides having inherent viscosities up to 1.04 dL g⁻¹ were obtained by either a one‐step or a conventional two‐step polymerization process starting from the bis(ether anhydride) and various aromatic diamines. All the polyimides showed typical amorphous diffraction patterns. Most of the polyimides were readily soluble in common organic solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), pyridine, and even in less polar solvents like chloroform and tetrahydrofuran (THF). These aromatic polyimides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 256–303°C, depending on the nature of the diamine moiety. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that all polymers were stable, with 10% weight loss recorded above 470°C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1673–1680, 1999     

Organosoluble and colorless fluorinated poly(ether imide)s from 1,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)benzene dianhydride and trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s

A series of novel aromatic poly(ether imide)s (PEI) containing ortho‐catenated phenylene rings and pendant trifluoromethyl group have been prepared from 1,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)benzene dianhydride (1) with seven trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s ( 2a‐g ) via a conventional two‐stage process that included ring‐opening polyaddition to form the poly(amic acid)s followed by chemical imidization to the polyimides. These PEIs had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.45–1.17 dL/g that corresponded to weight–average and number–average molecular weights (by gel‐permeation chromatography) of 42,000–102,000 and 28,500–67,500, respectively. All the PEIs were readily soluble in many organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into transparent, flexible, and strong films. These films were essentially colorless; they had a very low yellowness index of 4.34–6.55 and an UV–vis absorption cut‐off wavelength at 361–370 nm. The PEIs exhibited moderate‐to‐high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 185–270 °C, softening temperatures (T_s) in the range of 184–275 °C, and 10% weight loss temperatures higher than 466 °C in nitrogen or in air. They also showed low moisture absorptions of 0.49–0.70% and low dielectric constants of 2.78–3.26 (measured at 10 kHz). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3092–3102, 2006     

Synthesis of autophotosensitive hyperbranched polyimides based on 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride and 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene via end capping of the terminal anhydride groups by ortho‐alkyl aniline

Benzophenone‐containing, anhydride‐terminated hyperbranched poly(amic acid)s were end‐capped by ortho‐alkyl aniline in situ and then chemically imidized, yielding autophotosensitive hyperbranched polyimides. The polyimides were soluble in strong polar solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, N‐dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed their excellent thermal stability, with a 5 wt % thermal loss temperature in the range of 527–548 °C and a10 wt % thermal loss temperature in the range of 562–583 °C. The strong absorption of the polyimide films in ultraviolet–visible spectra at 365 nm indicated that the hyperbranched polyimides were patternable. Highly resolved images with a line width of 6 μm were developed by ultraviolet exposure of the polymer films. A well‐defined image with lines as thin as 3 μm was also patterned, but the lines were rounded at the edges. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2026–2035, 2003     

Preparation and properties of high‐pretilt‐angle polyimides based on an alicyclic dianhydride and long alkyloxy side‐group‐containing diamines

A series of polyimides were prepared by a solution polycondensation reaction between 3‐carboxylmethylcyclopentane‐1,2,4‐tricarboxylic dianhydride and 4‐alkyloxybenzene‐1,3‐diamines in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and chemical imidization with triethylamine and acetic anhydride. These polyimides possess great organo‐solubility, high optical transparency, and high pretilt angles. They are soluble not only in strong polar aprotic organic solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, m‐cresol, and 1,4‐butyrolactone but also in common low‐boiling‐point solvents such as chloroform and tetrahydrofuran, and some are even soluble in acetone. They exhibit high transparency at wavelengths greater than 320 nm. They can generate pretilt angles greater than 5°, and some can even achieve pretilt angles greater than 10°. The pretilt angle of a polyimide increases with the increasing length of the alkyloxy side group. The polyimides possess glass‐transition temperatures between 180 and 230 °C and thermal decomposition temperatures (onset temperatures) of about 435 °C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1943–1950, 2000     

Synthesis of fluorene‐based high performance polymers. I. Poly(arylene thioether)s with excellent solubility and high refractive index

Several poly(arylene thioether)s ( PTEs ) containing a fluorene moiety were synthesized by the polycondensation of masked dithiols such as 9,9‐bis(4‐(N,N‐dimethyl‐S‐carbamoyl)phenyl)fluorene and various difluoroarenes. All PTEs were obtained in quantitative yields. The PTEs showed good thermal stability: the 10% weight loss temperature was over 480 °C under both nitrogen and air atmosphere by TGA, and glass temperature was within a range of 204–275 °C by DSC. Most PTEs exhibited remarkably high refractive index values in a range of 1.66–1.72 at 589 nm, whereas they had a very low degree of birefringence properties. Furthermore, the PTEs showed high solubility in ordinary organic solvents such as chloroform, N‐methylpyrrolidone, and tetrahydrofuran. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3073–3082, 2007     

Synthesis and properties of aromatic polyimides derived from 2,2,′3,3′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride

2,2,′3,3′‐Biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (2,2,′3,3′‐BPDA) was prepared by a coupling reaction of dimethyl 3‐iodophthalate. The X‐ray single‐crystal structure determination showed that this dianhydride had a bent and noncopolanar structure, presenting a striking contrast to its isomer, 3,3,′4,4′‐BPDA. This dianhydride was reacted with aromatic diamines in a polar aprotic solvent such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to form polyamic acid intermediates, which imidized chemically to polyimides with inherent viscosities of 0.34–0.55 dL/g, depending on the diamine used. The polyimides from 2,2,′3,3′‐BPDA exhibited a good solubility and were dissolved in polar aprotic solvents and polychlorocarbons. These polyimides have high glass transition temperatures above 283°C. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that these polyimides were fairly stable up to 500°C, and the 5% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 534–583°C in nitrogen atmosphere and 537–561°C in air atmosphere. All polyimides were amorphous according to X‐ray determination. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1425–1433, 1999