Aromatic polybenzoxazoles containing ether–sulfone linkages

A series of poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s having both ether and sulfone linkages in the main chain were synthesized via the low‐temperature solution polycondensation of 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoyl chloride and 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoyl chloride with three bis(o‐aminophenol)s including 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3′‐dihydroxybiphenyl, 3,3′‐diamino‐4,4′‐dihydroxybiphenyl, and 2,2‐bis(3‐diamino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane. Subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s afforded polyethersulfone benzoxazoles. Most of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s were soluble in polar organic solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone; however, the polybenzoxazoles without the hexafluoroisopropylidene group were organic‐insoluble. The polybenzoxazoles exhibited glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 219–282 °C by DSC and softening temperatures (T_s) of 242–320 °C by thermomechanical analysis. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that most polybenzoxazoles were stable up to 450 °C in air or nitrogen. The 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the ranges of 474–593 °C in air and 478–643 °C in nitrogen. The methyl‐substituted polybenzoxazoles had higher T_g's but lower T_s's and initial decomposition temperatures compared with the corresponding unsubstituted polybenzoxazoles. For a comparative purpose, the synthesis and characterization of a series of sulfonyl polybenzoxazoles without the ether group that derived from 4,4′‐sulfonyldibenzoyl chloride and bis(o‐aminophenol)s were also reported. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2262–2270, 2001     

Pattern formation of polyimide by using photosensitive polybenzoxazole as a top layer

A versatile method for positive-type patterning of polyimide (PI) based on a two-layer photosensitive poly(benzoxazole) (PSPBO) and poly(amic acid) (PAA) film has been developed to provide a promising material in the field of microelectronics. This patterning system consisted of a pristine PAA thick bottom-layer and a poly(o-hydroxy amide) (PHA) thin top layer with 9,9-bis[4-(tert-butoxycarbonyl-methyloxy)phenyl]fluorene (TBMPF) as a dissolution inhibitor, and (5-propylsulfonyloxyimino-5H-thiophene-2-ylidene)-(2-methylphenyl)-acetonitrile (PTMA) as a photoacid generator (PAG). The PHA and PAA were prepared from 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-bis(o-aminophenol) and 4,4′-oxybis(benzoic acid) derivatives, and 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and 4,4′-oxydianiline, respectively, in N,N-dimethylacetamide. This two-layer system based on PHA (150-nm thickness) and PAA (1.5-μm thickness) showed high sensitivity of 35 mJ/cm² and high contrast of 10.3 when exposed to a 365 nm line (i-line), post-baked at 100 °C for 2 min, and developed in a 2.38 wt.% tetramethylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution/5 wt.% iso-propanol at 25 °C. A clear positive image of a 4-μm line-and-space pattern was printed on a film which was exposed to 100 mJ/cm² of i-line by a contact-printing mode and fully converted to the corresponding PBO/PI pattern upon heating at 350 °C, confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. This two-layer system could be applied to the patterning of various PAAs.     

Synthesis and properties of novel aromatic poly(o-hydroxy amide)s and polybenzoxazoles based on the bis(ether benzoyl chloride)s from hydroquinone and its methyl-, tert-butyl-, and phenyl-substituted derivatives

Four series of poly(o-hydroxy amide)s were prepared by the low-temperature solution polycondensation of the bis(ether benzoyl chloride)s extended from hydroquinone and its methyl-, tert-butyl-, or phenyl-substituted derivatives with three bis(o-aminophenol)s. Most of the poly(o-hydroxy amide)s displayed an amorphous nature, were readily soluble in various polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and could be solution-cast into flexible and tough films. These poly(o-hydroxy amide)s had glass transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 152–185°C and could be thermally cyclodehydrated into the corresponding polybenzoxazoles approximately in the region of 200–400°C, as evidenced by the DSC thermograms. The thermally converted benzoxazole polymers exhibited T_gs in the range of 215–247°C and did not show significant weight loss before 500°C either in nitrogen or in air. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2129–2136, 1999     

Rapid synthesis of optically active poly(amide-imide)s by direct polycondensation of aromatic dicarboxylic acid with aromatic diamines

4,4^′-(Hexafluoroisopropylidene)-N,N^′-bis(phthaloyl-l-leucine-p-amidobenzoic acid) (2) was prepared from the reaction of 4,4^′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-N,N^′-bis(phthaloyl-l-leucine) diacid chloride with p-aminobenzoic acid. The direct polycondensation reaction of monomer (2) with p-phenylenediamine (2a), 4,4^′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (2b), 2,4-diaminotoluene (2c), 2,6-diaminopyridine (2d), m-phenylene diamine (2e), benzidine (2f), 4,4^′-diaminodiphenylether (2g) and 4,4^′-diaminodiphenyl methane (2h) was carried out in a medium consisting of triphenyl phosphite, N-methyl-2-pyrolidone, pyridine, and calcium chloride. The homogeneous mixture was heated at 220 °C for 1 min under nitrogen. The resulting poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) having inherent viscosities 0.27-0.78 dl/g were obtained in high yield and are optically active and thermally stable. All of the above polymers were fully characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and specific rotation. Some structural characterization and physical properties of this new optically active PAIs are reported.     

Novel thermally stable and chiral poly(amide-imide)s bearing from N,N′-(4,4′-diphthaloyl)-bis-l-isoleucine diacid: Synthesis and characterization

Novel optically active aromatic poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) were prepared from newly synthesized N,N′-(4,4′-diphthaloyl)-bis-l-isoleucine diacid (3) via polycondensation with various diamines. The diacid was synthesized by the condensation reaction of 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (1) with l-isoleucine (2) in a mixture of acetic acid and pyridine (3:2 v/v). All the polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.20-0.43 dL g⁻¹. All the polymers were highly organosoluble in solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), tetrahydrofuran, γ-butyrolactone, cyclohexanone and chloroform at room temperature or upon heating. These poly(amide-imide)s had glass transition temperatures between 198 and 231 °C, and their 10% weight-loss temperatures were ranging from 368 to 398 °C and 353 to 375 °C under nitrogen and air, respectively. The polyimide films had tensile strengths in the range of 63-88 MPa and tensile moduli in the range of 0.8-1.4 GPa. These poly(amide-imide)s possessed chiral properties and the specific rotations were in the range of −3.10° to −72.92°.     

Regularly alternating poly(amideimide)s containing pendent pentadecyl chains: Synthesis and characterization

Two new aromatic diamines containing preformed amide linkages, viz., N,N′-(4-pentadecyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(4-aminobenzamide) I and N,N′-(4-pentadecyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(3-aminobenzamide) II, were synthesized by reaction of 4-pentadecylbenzene-1,3-diamine with 4-nitrobenzoylchloride and 3-nitrobenzoylchloride, followed by reduction of the respective dinitro derivatives. A series of new poly(amideimide)s was synthesized by polycondensation of I and II with four commercially available aromatic dianhydrides, viz., pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), 4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), and 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6-FDA) in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) employing conventional two step method via poly(amic acid) intermediate followed by thermal imidization. Reference poly(amideimide)s were synthesized by polycondensation of N,N′-(1,3-phenylene)bis(4-aminobenzamide) and N,N′-(1,3-phenylene)bis(3-aminobenzamide) with the same aromatic dianhydrides. Inherent viscosities of poly(amideimide)s containing pendent pentadecyl chains were in the range 0.37-1.23 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 ± 0.1 °C indicating the formation of medium to high molecular weight polymers. The poly(amideimide)s containing pendent pentadecyl chains were found to be soluble in N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone and pyridine and could be cast into transparent, flexible and tough films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solution. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited broad halo indicating that the polymers were essentially amorphous in nature. X-ray diffractograms also displayed sharp reflection in the small angle region (2θ ≈ 3°) for poly(amideimide)s containing pentadecyl chains indicating the formation of layered structure arising from packing of flexible pentadecyl chains. The glass transition temperatures observed for reference poly(amideimide)s were in the range 331-275 °C and those for poly(amideimide)s containing pendent pentadecyl chains were in the range 185-286 °C indicating a large drop in T_g owing to the “internal plasticization” effect of pentadecyl chains. The temperature at 10% weight loss (T₁₀), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, were in the range 460-480 °C indicating their good thermal stability.     

Preparation and Properties of Aliphatic Polybenzoxazoles from 4,4′-Diamino-3,3′-Dihydroxybiphenyl and Aliphatic Dicarboxylic Acid Chlorides by the Silylation Method

Abstract

A series of aliphatic polybenzoxazoles of high molecular weights was prepared in three steps by the low-temperature solution polycondensation of tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)-substituted 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dihydroxy-biphenyl with aliphatic diacid chlorides with 7 to 12 methylene units yielding trimethylsilyl-substituted poly(o-hydroxysamide) precursor polymers, which were subjected to desilylation with methanol giving the poly(o-hydroxyamide)s, followed by thermal cyclodehydration. The aliphatic polybenzoxazoles had melting points in the 172 to 246 °C range with glass transition temperatures of 55-97°C. They were stable in the melt state up to 400 °C in nitrogen. These polybenzoxazoles and the corresponding bisbenzoxazole model compounds exhibited no liquid crystallinity.     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble and thermally stable poly(ester-imide)s derived from N-[3,5-bis(N-trimellitoyl)phenyl]phthalimide and various bisphenols

A new dicarboxylic acid chloride (2) bearing three preformed imide rings was synthesized by treating N-(3,5-diaminophenyl)phthalimide with trimellitic anhydride followed by refluxing with thionyl chloride. A novel family of aromatic poly(ester-imide)s with inherent viscosities of 0.27-0.35 dl g⁻¹ were prepared from 2 with various bisphenols such as resorcinol (3a), hydroquinone (3b), 2,2′-dihydroxybiphenyl (3c), 4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl (3d), bisphenol-A (3e), 2,2′-dimethyl-4,4′-dihydroxybiphenyl (3f), 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene (3g), 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene (3h), and 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (3i) by high-temperature solution polycondensation in nitrobenzene using pyridine as hydrogen chloride quencher. All of the resulted polymers were fully characterized by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. The poly(ester-imide)s exhibited excellent solubility in some polar organic solvents. From differential scanning calorimetry, the polymers showed glass-transition temperatures between 259 and 353 °C. Thermal behaviors of the obtained polymers were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and the 10% weight loss temperatures of the poly(ester-imide)s were found to be in the range between 451 and 482 °C in nitrogen. Furthermore, crystallinity of the polymers was estimated by means of wide-angle X-ray diffraction.     

Novel processable and heat resistant poly(phenylthiourea azomethine imide)s: Synthesis and characterization

N-(4-chloro-3-aminobenzal)N′(4-aminophenyl)thiourea having phenylthiourea and azomethine groups was synthesized and exploited as starting material for the fabrication of new polymers. Novel diamine was condensed with pyromellitic dianhydride, 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone-tetrcarboxylic dianhydride and 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic dianhydride to obtain poly(phenylthiourea azomethine imide)s. The structural explication of monomers and poly(phenylthiourea azomethine imide)s were carried out by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR techniques along with crystallinity, organosolubility, inherent viscosity and molecular weight measurements. Accordingly, polymers bearing CS and -CN- moieties in the backbone demonstrated an amorphous nature and were readily soluble in amide solvents such as DMAc, DMF, and DMSO. Poly(phenylthiourea azomethine imide)s encompassed η_inh of 1.40-1.55 dL/g and were obtained in quantitative yields. In addition, GPC measurements of polymers revealed M_w around 60,291-67,665. Thermal stability of these polymers was ascertained via 10% weight loss temperatures around 514-533 °C in an inert atmosphere. Besides, glass transition temperatures of polyimides were found to be 272-276 °C.     

Synthesis and properties of new soluble aromatic polybenzoxazoles from 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dihydroxytriphenylamines and aromatic dicarboxylic acids

Two new triphenylamine-based bis (o-aminophenol) monomers, 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dihydroxytriphenylamines, were successfully synthesized by the cesium fluoride-mediated condensation of 2-(benzyloxy)-4-fluoronitrobenzene with aniline derivatives, followed by simultaneous deprotection and reduction. Aromatic polybenzoxazoles having inherent viscosities of 0.58–1.05 dL/g were obtained by the low-temperature solution polycondensation of the bis(aminophenol)s with various aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides and the subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the resultant poly(hydroxyamide)s. All the polybenzoxazoles were amorphous, and most of them were soluble in organic solvents such as m-cresol and o-chlorophenol. Flexible and tough films of polybenzoxazoles could be cast from the DMAc solutions of some aromatic poly(hydroxyamide)s, followed by thermal cyclodehydration. The glass transition temperatures and 10% weight loss temperatures of the polybenzoxazoles under nitrogen were in the range of 262–327 and 610–640°C, respectively. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1987–1994, 1998     

Investigation of solution and solid-state properties of poly(R,R,4,4-cyclohexylidene diphenylene diphenyl-4,4-disulfonate)

Solution and solid-state properties of poly(R,R^′,4,4^′-cyclohexylidene diphenylene diphenyl-4,4^′-disulfonate) (PS-6: R=R^′=H; PS-7: R=CH₃, R^′=H; PS-8: R=R^′=Cl; PS-9: R=CH₃, R^′=Cl and PS-10: R=R^′=Br) have been determined and discussed in terms of nature of the substituents. Ultrasonic velocity (2 MHz) and acoustical parameters of PS-7 and PS-9 solutions in chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane and tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 30, 35 and 40 °C have been evaluated to understand the effect of methyl and chlorine groups, concentration, and temperature on molecular interactions. The data are interpreted in light of solvent-polymer and polymer-polymer interactions. Predominant solvation is observed in THF system and the least in chloroform system at all three temperatures. The structural change is observed above 2%. Both the polymers possess structure-forming tendency and it is supported by positive values of S_n.The densities of PS-7 and PS-9 determined by floatation method are in excellent agreement with calculated values but those determined by specific volume method differ remarkably from calculated values due to solvation effect. PS-7 and PS-9 possess respectively tensile strength of 38.4 and 1.1 N/mm²; electric strength of 16.2 and 25.0 kV/mm and volume resistivity of 5.7×10¹⁶ and 1.0×1017Ωcm. The low tensile strength of PS-9 is due to low molecular weight, rigid and brittle nature of the polymer chains. PS-6 to PS-9 are thermally stable up to about 349-379 °C while PS-10 up to about 279 °C and involved two-step degradation. DTA thermograms indicated T_g at about 204-226 °C. High activation energy indicated rigid nature of the polymer chains and the positive magnitudes of ΔS* indicated less ordered transition state. The nature of the substituents (CH₃, Cl and Br) affected thermal, mechanical and electrical properties.     

New soluble aromatic polyamides containing ether linkages and laterally attached p-terphenyls

Two series of new polyamides containing flexible ether linkages and laterally attached side rods (3a-i and 4a-i) were synthesized from 2^′,5^′-bis(4-aminophenoxy)-[1,1^′;4^′,1^″]terphenyl (1a) and 2^′,5^′-bis(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-[1,1^′;4^′,1^″]terphenyl (1b), respectively, with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids by the direct phosphorylation polycondensation. The polymers were produced with high yields and moderate to high inherent viscosities (0.41-0.97 dl/g) that corresponded to weight-average molecular weights (by size exclusion chromatography) of 47,000-65,000. Except for some polyamides that derived from rigid diacids, the obtained polyamides were readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and could afford flexible and tough films via solvent casting. The polymer films cast from DMAc solutions possessed tensile strengths of 85-106 MPa and initial moduli of 1.82-2.96 GPa. These polyamides showed glass-transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 206-263 °C (by DSC) and softening temperatures (T_s) in the range of 211-253 °C (by TMA). Decomposition temperatures (T_d) for 10% weight loss all occurred above 400 °C (by TGA) in both nitrogen and air atmospheres. The polyamides 4a-i derived from trifluoromethyl-substituted diamine 1b generally showed a higher solubility, T_g and T_s but lower thermal stability as compared to the analogous polyamides 3a-i based on diamine 1a.     

Thermal degradation behaviour of novel wholly para-oriented aromatic polyamide-hydrazides containing sulfone-ether linkages

Thermal stability and degradation behaviour of a series of novel wholly para-oriented aromatic polyamide-hydrazides containing flexibilising sulfone-ether linkages in their main chains have been investigated in nitrogen and in air using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and elemental analysis. All of these polymers have similar structural formula except for the presence of sulfone, ether, or sulfone-ether linking groups between appropriate aromatic nuclei in their main chains. The influence of incorporation of these linkages on the thermal stability and degradation behaviour of these polymers has also been studied. The polymers were prepared by a low temperature solution polycondensation reaction of 4-amino-3-hydroxybenzhydrazide (4A3HBH) and an equimolar amount of either 4,4′-sulfonyl dibenzoyl chloride (SDBC), 4,4′-[sulfonyl bis (1,4-phenylene)dioxy] dibenzoyl chloride (SODBC), 4,4′-[sulfonyl bis (2,6-dimethyl- 1,4-phenylene)dioxy] dibenzoyl chloride (4MeSODBC), or 4,4′-(1,4-phenylenedioxy)dibenzoyl chloride (ODBC) in anhydrous N,N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAc) as a solvent at −10 °C. A related polyamide-hydrazide without the flexibilising linkages is also investigated for comparison. It was synthesized from 4A3HBH and terephthaloyl chloride (TCl) by the same synthetic route. The results clearly reveal that these polymers are characterized by high thermal stability. Their weight loss occurred in three distinctive steps. The first was small and was assigned to the evaporation of absorbed moisture. The second was appreciable and was attributed to the cyclodehydration reaction of the o-hydroxy polyamide-hydrazides into the corresponding poly (1,3,4-oxadiazolyl-benzoxazoles) by losing water. This is not a true degradation, but rather a thermo-chemical transformation reaction. The third was relatively severe and sharp, particularly in air, and corresponded to the decomposition of the resulting poly(1,3,4-oxadiazolyl-benzoxazoles). There is a slight shift of the decomposition temperature of these polymers to a lower temperature as the sulfone-ether linkages were introduced into the polymer chains. The decomposition seems to start by breaking the sulfonyl groups as confirmed from DSC measurements. The results also indicate that the incorporation of the flexibilising linkages into the polymer main chains did not seem to significantly influence the thermal stability of these polymers in comparison with that of the polymer free from these linkages.     

Synthesis and properties of novel cardo aromatic poly(ether‐benzoxazole)s

Three new bis(ether‐acyl chloride) monomers, 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane ( 1a ), 5,5‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan ( 1b ), and 9,9‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]fluorene ( 1c ), were synthesized from readily available compounds. Aromatic polybenzoxazoles bearing ether and cardo groups were obtained by the low‐temperature solution polycondensation of the bis(ether‐acyl chloride)s with three bis(aminophenol)s and the subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the resultant poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s. The intermediate poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s exhibited inherent viscosities in the range of 0.35–0.71 dL/g. All of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s were amorphous and soluble in many organic polar solvents, and most of them could afford flexible and tough films by solvent casting. The poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s exhibited glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) in the range of 141–169 °C and could be thermally converted into the corresponding polybenzoxazoles approximately in the region of 240–350 °C, as indicated by the DSC thermograms. Flexible and tough films of polybenzoxazoles could be obtained by thermal cyclodehydration of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide) films. All the polybenzoxazoles were amorphous and showed an enhanced T_g but a dramatically decreased solubility as compared with their poly(o‐hydroxy amide) precursors. They exhibited T_g's of 215–272 °C by DSC and showed insignificant weight loss before 500 °C in nitrogen or air. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 4014–4021, 2001     

Acyclic tertiary diamines and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane with fluorine-containing β-diketones: Leading to low melting ionic adducts

N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethylmethanediamine (1a), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethanediamine (1b), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine (1c), and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,6-hexanediamine (1d) were reacted at 25 °C with 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedione (2a), 2,2-dimethyl-6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-3,5-octanedione (2b), 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (2c), and 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-furyl)-1,3-butanedione (2d) to form the ionic adducts 3-18. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane (1e) reacted at 25 °C with β-diketones (2a-d) and 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedione (2e) to give ionic solids 19-23 in good yields. Some of the products are liquid at 25 °C and are thermally stable over long liquid ranges as determined by thermal gravimetric analyses. Single-crystal X-ray structure determinations show that compounds 9 and 21 crystallize in the monoclinic space groups P2(1)/c and P2(1)/n, respectively. All the new compounds were characterized by ¹H, ¹⁹F and ¹³C NMR, electrospray MS and/or elemental analyses.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(amideimide)s containing pendent flexible alkoxy chains

A series of aromatic diacylhydrazides containing pendent flexible alkoxy chains, viz., 5-butyloxyisophthalicacid dihydrazide, 5-octyloxyisophthalicacid dihydrazide, 5-dodecyloxyisophthalicacid dihydrazide and 5-hexadecyloxyisophthalicacid dihydrazide were synthesized by the hydrazinolysis reaction of the corresponding aromatic esters with hydrazine hydrate. Diacylhydrazides were each polycondensed with aromatic dianhydrides, viz., 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to obtain new poly(amideimide)s. Poly(amideimide)s had inherent viscosity in the range 0.55-0.88 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 30 ± 0.1 °C. Poly(amideimide)s were found to be soluble in DMAc, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and pyridine and could be cast into tough, flexible and transparent films from a solution in DMAc. X-ray diffractograms revealed that poly(amideimide)s with longer alkoxy chains had layered structures. Glass transition temperature of poly(amideimide)s containing pendent flexible alkoxy chains were in the range 215-245 °C. Temperature at 10% weight loss was in the range 380-410 °C in nitrogen atmosphere indicating good thermal stability of poly(amideimide)s.     

Synthesis, characterization and degradability of the novel aliphatic polyester bearing pendant N-isopropylamide functional groups

The synthesis, characterization, and degradability of the novel aliphatic polyester bearing pendant N-isopropylamide functional group are reported for the first time. 2-(N-Isopropyl-2-carbamoylethyl)cyclohexanone (CCH) was first synthesized by the Michael reaction of N-isopropylacrylamide with cyclohexanone and was subsequently converted into 6-(N-isopropyl-2-carbamoylethyl)-?-caprolactone (CCL) by the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction using 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (mCPBA) as the oxidant. Finally, the novel functionalized poly(?-caprolactone) bearing the pendant N-isopropylamide functional groups, poly(6-(N-isopropyl-2-carbamoylethyl)-?-caprolactone-co-?-caprolactone)s (poly(CCL-co-CL)), were carried out successfully by bulk ring-opening polymerization of CCL and ?-CL initiated by Sn(Oct)₂. Poly(CCL-co-CL) were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, SEC and DSC. The copolymer containing 9.1 mol% CCL formed flexible films and was used to study its degradability. A phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) with temperature 37 °C was adopted to proceed the degrading study all through. Compared with poly(?-caprolactone), the hydrolytic degradation of poly(CCL-co-CL) was much faster, which is confirmed by the weight loss and change of intrinsic viscosity.     

Poly(amideimide)s containing pendant pentadecyl chains: Synthesis and characterization

A new aromatic diacylhydrazide monomer viz., 4-[4′-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2- pentadecylbenzohydrazide was synthesized starting from cardanol, which in turn is obtainable from cashew nut shell liquid - a renewable resource material. A series of new poly(amideimide)s containing flexibilizing ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains was synthesized from 4-[4′-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2-pentadecylbenzohydrazide and commercially available aromatic dianhydrides, viz., benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, benzophenone-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride and 4,4′-(hexafluoro isopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride by a two-step solution polycondensation in N,N-dimethylacetamide via the poly(hydrazide acid) intermediate. Inherent viscosities of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 0.60-0.64 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 ± 0.1 °C. Poly(amideimide)s could be solution cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solutions. The solubility of poly(amideimide)s was significantly improved by incorporation of pendant pentadecyl chains and were found to be soluble in N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, pyridine and m-cresol at room temperature or upon heating. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns of poly(amideimide)s revealed a broad halo at around 2θ = ∼19° suggesting that polymers were amorphous in nature. In the small-angle region, diffuse to sharp reflections of a typically layered structure resulting from the packing of pentadecyl side chains were observed. The temperature at 10% weight loss (T₁₀), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of poly(amideimide)s was in the range of 388-410 °C indicating their good thermal stability. Glass transition temperatures of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 162-198 °C. It was observed that the plasticization effect of attached pentadecyl side chains induced the depression of T_g.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of a dichloro zinc complex of N,N′-bis-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane: Application to ring opening polymerization of rac-lactide

A novel dichloro zinc complex (L¹)ZnCl₂, where L¹ is N,N′-bis-(2,6-dichloro-benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, has been synthesized and characterized. The dimethyl derivatives, generated in situ from the well characterized dichloro zinc complexes (L¹)ZnCl₂ and (L²)ZnCl₂, where L² is N,N′-bis-(benzyl)-(R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, were employed as initiators for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide (rac-LA). The complexes were found to be highly efficient initiators yielding the polylactide (PLA) with a narrow molecular weight distribution. The catalytic activity and heterotactic selectivity of the Zn(II) complexes were affected by the substituents on the phenyl groups of benzyl moieties in (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane. The dimethyl derivative of (L²)ZnCl₂ produced highly stereocontrolled PLA with P_r = 0.75 at −25 °C.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel optically active poly(amide-imide)s via direct amidation

N,N′-Pyromelliticdiimido-di-l-methionine (3) was prepared from the reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride (1) with l-methionine (2) in glacial acetic acid and pyridine solution at refluxing temperature. The direct polycondensation reaction of the monomer diimide-diacid (3) with 1,3-phenylenediamine (4a), 1,4-phenylenediamine (4b), 2,6-diaminopyridine (4c), 3,5-diaminopyridine (4d), 4,4′-diaminodiphenylether (4e) and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (4f) was carried out in a medium consisting of triphenyl phosphate, N-methyl-2-pyrolidone, pyridine and calcium chloride. The resulting poly(amide-imide)s having inherent viscosities 0.45-0.53 dl g⁻¹ were obtained in high yields and are optically active and thermally stable. All of the above compounds were fully characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and specific rotation. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these new optically active poly(amide-imide)s are reported.