Organosoluble,low dielectric constant and highly transparent fluorinated pyridine-containing poly(ether imide)s derived from new diamine: 4-(4-trifluoromethyl)phenyl-2,6-bis[4-(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)phenyl]pyridine

A new aromatic diamine, 4-(4-trifluoromethyl)phenyl-2,6-bis4-(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)phenyl]pyridine, was synthesized by a modified Chichibabin reaction of 4-(4-nitro-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)acetophenone with 4-triflouromethylbenzaldehyde, followed by catalytic reduction. A series of fluorinated pyridine-containing aromatic poly(ether imide)s (PEIs) were prepared from the diamine monomer with various aromatic dianhydrides via conventional two-step thermal imidization method. The resulting PEIs had inherent viscosities values of 0.68–0.90 dL/g, and could be cast and thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough polymer films. These PEIs were predominantly amorphous, had good solubility in common solvents such as NMP, DMAc and m-cresol at room temperature, and displayed excellent thermal stability with the glass transition temperatures of 258–315?°C, the temperatures at 5% weight loss of 550–585?°C, and the residue of higher than 55% at 750?°C in nitrogen. Moreover, the PEIs films showed outstanding mechanical properties with tensile strengths of 74.8–103.5?MPa, tensile moduli of 1.08–1.45?GPa, and elongations at break of 10.6–24.4%. These PEIs also exhibited low dielectric constants of 2.81–2.98 (1?MHz) and water uptake 0.39–0.68%, as well as high optical transparency with the UV cutoff wavelength in the 350–378?nm range and the wavelength of 80% transparency in the range of 412–510?nm.