Synthesis and properties of some new polyazomethine-urethanes

Two new bisazomethine diols were prepared from terephthalaldehyde and aromatic or aliphatic aminoalcohols. The structure of the diols with bisazomethine moieties was confirmed by ¹H-NMR, IR, UV spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Bisazomethine aliphatic diol exhibited a smectic phase that has been identified by means of polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. By using these diols as partners in polyaddition reaction between poly(tetramethylene oxide)diol of 2000 average molecular weight, tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate (as 2,4- and 2,6-TDI, 80:20 v/v isomers mixture) and bisazomethine diol (1:3:2 molar ratio), two polyazomethine-urethanes were synthesized. Polyazomethine-urethanes with a higher concentration of poly-Schiff's base units were also obtained by reacting the above bisazomethine diols with the same diisocyanate (1:1 molar ratio). All polymers were characterized by viscometry, elemental analysis, IR, UV, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and TGA techniques.