Polyamides incorporating phosphine oxide groups. III. Polymerisation of bis[4-(2-aminoethyl)aminophenyl]-phenylphosphine oxide with dicarboxylic acids

The new polymerisation monomer bis[4-(2-aminoethyl)aminophenyl]-phenylphosphine oxide (p-BAPPO) was prepared in good yield by the nucleophilic substitution reaction between bis(4-fluorophenyl)phenylphosphine oxide and a large excess of 1,2-diaminoethane. Five novel polyamides, incorporating phosphine oxide groups within the polymer backbone were synthesised by the condensation reaction of p-BAPPO with a series of aromatic and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids. The thermal properties of these polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Glass transition temperatures in the 180–215°C range were recorded. Although we observed their thermooxidative stabilities (5% weight loss > 345°C) to be lower by 40–70°C than those previously found for wholly aromatic polyamides with phosphine oxide groups within the parent chain, char yields upon prolonged heating at 650°C were still excellent (26–38%). Also, good solubility in aprotic polar solvents was observed for all polyamides synthesised. The new polyamides clearly represent significant progress in the quest for processible fire retardant materials. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2865–2870, 1997     

Polyamides incorporating phosphine oxide groups. II. Aromatic polymers containing sulfone functionality

Four novel polyamides have been prepared in high yields by the polycondensation reactions of bis(3-carboxyphenyl)- and bis(4-carboxyphenyl)phenylphosphine oxide with 3,3′- and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone. The thermal properties of these materials were studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the presence of both phosphine oxide and sulfonyl groups within the polymer backbone brought about remarkable modifications in the thermal behavior. Glass transition temperatures 40–50°C lower than those of conventional polyamides i.e., in the range 170–200°C, were recorded. However, we observed greater thermooxidative stability (5% weight loss at >410°C) and high char yield upon prolonged heating at 800°C (20–34%). Also, good solubility in polar aprotic solvents was observed for all polyamides together with some solubility in aqueous solvent mixtures, e.g. tetrahydrofuran/water (95:5). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of tough polycyclic polyamides containing 4,9-Diamantyl moieties in the main chain

A series of new polyamides were synthesized by direct polycondensation of the 4,9-diamantane dicarboxylic acid ( I ) with various aromatic diamines in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) containing lithium chloride. The polyamides had inherent viscosities of 0.56–1.85 dL/g. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed the polymers IIIa–IIId to have main melting transitions at 403, 431, 423, and 452°C, respectively. Moreover, these polymers were quite stable at high temperatures and maintained good mechanical properties (G′ = ca. 10⁸ Pa) up to temperatures close to the main transition well above 400°C. Although the polyamides contained rigid 4,9-diamantyl moieties in the main chain, the tensile properties of the polyamides showed toughness. Elongations of polyamides IIIa and IIIb reached 38.3 and 31.7%, respectively, before breaking. A glass transition was not observed. However, polyamide IIIc shows a melting transition with a sharp endothermic peak at 423°C by DSC measurement. Additionally, the introduction of 4,9-diamantyl units into the polyamide backbone resulted in polyamides with high thermal stability and good mechanical properties. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polymers containing pendant silyl groups. II. Aromatic polyamides

In order to improve the solubility of aromatic polyamides without significant loss of thermal stability, synthesis of aromatic polyamides containing pendant silyl groups was carried out by direct polycondensation of silylated aromatic diacids such as 2-trimethylsilylterephthalic acid (TSTA), 2,5-bis (trimethylsilyl) terephthalic acid (BTSTA), 5-trimethylsilylisophthalic acid (TSIA), 5-dimethylphenylsilylisophthalic acid (DMSIA), and 5-triphenylsilylisophthalic acid (TPSIA) with various aromatic diamines. The resulting polyamides had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.18–1.10 dL/g and showed improved solubilities toward aprotic polar solvents such as NMP, DMF, DMSO, etc. The prepared aromatic polyamides exhibited fairly good thermal stabilities, which were almost comparable to those of corresponding nonsubstituted aromatic polyamides. That is, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data revealed 10% weight losses at 358–500°C and residual weights at 700°C were 46–67% under nitrogen atmosphere. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of new aromatic polyamides bearing crown ethers or their dipodal counterparts in the pendant structure. I. Benzo‐12‐crown‐4 and ortho‐bis(2‐ethoxyethoxy)benzene

Two novel isophthalic diacid‐based monomers have been synthesized by inclusion in ring position 5 of a functionalized benzoylamine moiety. The functionalization includes a 12‐crown‐4 ether group fused with the benzene subunit and a dipodand substructure, formally a disubstitution of the benzene ring, with two sequences of ethyl‐terminated ethylene oxide units, which represent the open‐chain counterpart of the alicylic crown moiety. The polycondensation of the two diacids with five aromatic diamines yielded 10 new polyamides with crown or podand pendant substructures. The polyamides had previously been chemically characterized by NMR, IR, and elemental analysis. The polymers showed high glass transition temperatures of up to 349 °C, good thermal stability (T_{donset, N2} ≈ 400 °C), and improved solubility in organic solvents. The presence of acyclic or alicyclic oxyethylene sequences as crown ether or podand substructures and an additional amide side group per repeat unit made the polymers essentially amorphous and improved their water absorption ability in comparison with nonsubstituted polyamides. Water uptake values as high as 12% were observed at 65% relative humidity. All the polyamides showed a good film‐forming ability, and the mechanical properties of these films are considered to be satisfactory for experimental aromatic polyamides. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2270–2281, 2006     

Synthesis and properties of aromatic polyamides based on a benzonorbornane bis(ether carboxylic acid)

A set of new aromatic polyamides containing ether and benzonorbornane units were synthesized by the direct phosphorylation polycondensation of 3,6‐bis(4‐carboxyphenoxy)benzonorbornane with various aromatic diamines. The polymers were produced in high yields and moderate to high inherent viscosities (0.64–1.70 dL/g). The polyamides derived from rigid diamines such as p‐phenylenediamine and benzidine were semicrystalline and insoluble in organic solvents. The other polyamides were amorphous and organosoluble and afforded flexible and tough films via solution casting. These films exhibited good mechanical properties, with tensile strengths of 95–101 MPa, elongations at break of 13–25%, and initial moduli of 1.97–2.33 GPa. The amorphous polyamides showed glass‐transition temperatures between 176 and 212 °C (by differential scanning calorimetry) and softening temperatures between 194 and 213 °C (by thermomechanical analysis). Most of the polymers did not show significant weight loss before 450 °C in nitrogen or in air. Some properties of these polyamides were also compared with those of homologous counterparts without the pendent norbornane groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 947–957, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of organo‐soluble polyamides containing triaryl imidazole pendant and ether linkage moieties: thermal,photophysical, and chemiluminescent properties

A new symmetrical diamine monomer containing a triaryl imidazole pendant group was successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution of hydroquinone with the synthesized 2‐(2‐chloro‐5‐nitrophenyl)‐4, 5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole (I). A series of novel polyamides were prepared from the diamine monomer and various aliphatic and aromatic dicarboxylic acids via phosphorylation polyamidation. These polyamides are readily soluble in many organic solvents; their inherent viscosities ranged from 0.68 to 0.89 dl/g and gave tough and flexible films by solution‐casting. They had useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high T_gs (186–278°C), 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 355–482°C, and char yields at 600°C in air up to 67%. All the polyamides have fluorescence emission in dilute (0.2 g/dl) DMAc solution with maxima at 425–495 nm and with the quantum yields in the range 14–28%. The chemiluminescence activity of polyamides was also studied in the presence of peroxyoxalate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High α transitions of new polyamides based on diamantane

A series of new polyamides were synthesized by direct polycondensation of the 1,6-bis(4-aminophenyl)diamantane with various dicarboxylic acids. The soluble polyamides had high inherent viscosities, ranging from 0.73 to 1.21 dL/g. Polyamides derived from 5-tert-butylisophthalic acid and (±)-1,3-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and pyridine. When NMP and N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) were added with 3% (w/v) LiCl, the solubilities of polyamides derived from 4,4′-oxybis(benzoic acid) and cis-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid were markedly enhanced. Polyamides had tensile strengths of up to 87.8 MPa, elongation to breakage values of up to 19.3%, and initial moduli of up to 2.1 GPa. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the polyamides have three relaxations. Their α relaxations occurred at high temperatures, ranging from 380 to 462°C. Three of polyamides exhibited good retention of storage modulus (above 10⁸ Pa) at a temperature exceeding 410°C. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1257–1263, 1998     

Preparation and properties of polyamides and polyimides derived from 1,3-diaminoadamantane

1,3-Diaminoadamantane (I) was used as a monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acyl chlorides and dianhydrides to synthesize polyamides and polyimides, respectively. Polyamides having inherent viscosities of 0.10–0.27 dL/g were prepared by low-temperature solution polycondensation. The polyamides were soluble in a variety of solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), pyridine, dioxane, and nitrobenzene. These polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the 179–187°C range and 5% weight loss temperatures occurred at up to 354°C. Polyimides based on diamine I and various aromatic dianhydrides were synthesized by the two-stage procedure that included ring-opening to form polyamic acids, followed by thermal conversion to polyimides. The polyamic acids had inherent viscosities of 0.14–0.38 dL/g. The glass transition temperature of these polyimides were in the 245–303°C range and showed almost no weight loss up to 350°C under air and nitrogen atmosphere. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Facile Synthesis of Processable Semi-aromatic Polyamide Containing Thioether Units

A series of processable semi-aromatic polyamides containing thioether units have been developed. They were synthesized through the reaction of 4,4’-bis(4-chloroformylphenylthio)benzene (BPB-DC) and aliphatic diamine by the method of interfacial polycondensation. These polyamides had excellent thermal properties with glass transition temperatures (T_g) of 124–137.9°C, melting temperatures (T_m) of 306.4–324.1°C and initial degradation temperatures (T_d) of 409.5–437°C. They had wider processing windows than traditional semi-aromatic polyamides and can be processed by the melting method. They had better tensile strengths of 61.2–73.7 MPa, low-temperature mechanical properties, low water absorption of 0.17%–0.23%, low dielectric constants of 3.47–3.66 at 100 kHz and better melt flowability properties of 37.3 to 164.4 Pa. s, 48.2 to 281.7 Pa. s and 58.3 to 486.7 Pa. s at different shear rates, respectively. Additionally, these polyamides showed good corrosion resistance, they did not dissolve in solvents such as NMP, DMSO, hydrochloric acid (6 mol/L), H₃PO₄ and solution of NaOH (1 mol/L) etc.     

Synthesis and properties of new aromatic polyamides with redox‐active 2,4‐dimethoxytriphenylamine moieties

A new triphenylamine‐based diamine monomer, 4,4′‐diamino‐2″,4″‐dimethoxytriphenylamine ( 2 ), was synthesized from readily available reagents and was reacted with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids to produce a series of aromatic polyamides ( 4a–h ) containing the redox‐active 2,4‐dimethoxy‐substituted triphenylamine (dimethoxyTPA) unit. All the resulting polyamides were readily soluble in polar organic solvents and could be solution cast into tough and flexible films. These polymers exhibited good thermal stability with glass transition temperatures of 243–289 °C and softening temperatures of 238–280 °C, 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 470 °C in nitrogen, and char yields higher than 60% at 800 °C in nitrogen. The redox behaviors of the polymers were examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV). All these polyamides showed two reversible oxidation processes in the first CV scan. The polymers also displayed low ionization potentials as a result of their dimethoxyTPA moieties. In addition, the polymers displayed excellent stability of electrochromic characteristics with coloration change from a colorless neutral state to green and blue‐purple oxidized states. These anodically coloring polyamides showed high green coloration efficiency (CE = 329 cm²/C), high contrast of optical transmittance change (ΔT% = 84% at 829 nm), and long‐term redox reversibility. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3392–3401, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble aromatic polyamides from diaminotetraphenylimidazolin-2-one and various aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides

Novel aromatic polyamides, having inherent viscosities of 0.76-2.31 dL/g, were synthesized by the low temperature solution polycondensation of a new highly phenylated diamine monomer having an imidazolinone group, 1,3-bis(4-aminophenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazoline-2-one (TPIDA), with various aromatic diacid chlorides. All the polymers were amorphous, and most of the polyamides were readily soluble in organic solvents such as N-methyl–2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and m-cresol. Flexible and tough films could be prepared from the DMAc solutions of these soluble aromatic polyamides. The glass transition temperatures and 10% weight loss temperatures under nitrogen of the polyamides were in the range of 275–315°C and 430–505°C, respectively. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides containing adamantyl and diamantyl moieties in the main chain

This work synthesized a series of new polyamides by direct polycondensation of 1,3-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane ( I ) with various diamines. The diacid I was synthesized from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)adamantane in two steps. Polyamides III were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and pyridine. The polyamides had medium inherent viscosities of 0.30–0.55 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 22,000–36,000. The polyamides III _a and III _b had tensile strengths of 59.8 and 77.5 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 5.8 and 7.6%, and initial moduli of 1.9 and 1.8 GPa, respectively. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 219–295°C by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the incorporation of rigid and bulky diamantane into polyamides III _a and III _b leads to high glass transition temperatures (T_gs), at 299 and 286°C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures of polyamides III at a 5% weight loss ranged from 388 to 416°C in air and from 408 to 435°C in N₂ atmosphere. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 785–792, 1998     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides derived from 1,6-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]diamantane

A series of new polyamides 3 were synthesized by direct polycondensation of the 1,6-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]diamantane (1) with various dicarboxylic acids. The polyamides had inherent viscosities of 0.45–1.90 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 24,000–110,000. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that polymers 3 have two relaxations on the temperature scale between −100 and 400°C. Their α relaxations occurred at high temperatures, ranging from 338 to 389°C. Moreover, these polymers remained quite stable at high temperatures and maintained good mechanical properties (G′ = ca. 10⁸ Pa) up to temperatures close to the main transition markedly exceeding 350°C. Due to the bulky diamantane elements and the flexible ether segments, the polymers 3 were amorphous and soluble in a number of organic solvents such as pyridine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The polyamides 3 have tensile strengths of 56.7–90.2 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 7.5–27.7%, and initial moduli of 1.8–2.1 GPa. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2185–2192, 1998     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of new sequenced poly(ether amide)s based on 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole and 2‐(3‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole

A set of new aromatic poly(ether amide)s containing benzimidazole groups and ethylene oxide sequences of different lengths were synthesized and characterized. The new polymers were prepared from two benzimidazole diamines, 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole and 2‐(3‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole, and various oligo(ethylene oxide)dibenzoyl chlorides. They exhibited good solubility in polar aprotic solvents and glass‐transition temperatures in the range of 125–300 °C (the longer the ethylene oxide spacer was, the lower the glass‐transition temperature was). The new polyamides were essentially amorphous, as observed by X‐ray diffraction measurements and confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry measurements, by means of which no melting endotherm was observed in any case. The decomposition temperatures, as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen, were about 400 °C for all of them, regardless of the length of the ethylene oxide content or the phenylene ring orientation (meta or para) of the diamine moiety. The number of ethylene oxide linkages per repeat unit also determined the water uptake. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1414–1423, 2006     

Aromatic polyisophthalamides with N-benzylidene pendant groups

A new series of modified polyisophthalamides bearing N-benzylidene pendant groups was prepared by reacting various aromatic diamines with 5-(N-benzylidene) isophthalic acid. The latter was synthesized from the reaction of 5-aminoisophthalic acid with benzaldehyde and characterized by IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Triphenyl phosphite and pyridine was used as condensing agents for preparing polyamides. In addition, the corresponding unsubstituted polyisophthalamides were prepared under identical experimental conditions for comparative purposes. Characterization of modified polyamides was accomplished by IR as well as inherent viscosity measurements. They showed a slightly lower solubility in various media than the corresponding unsubstituted polyamides. The cured modified polyamides displayed significantly higher thermal stability than the cured unsubstituted polyamides. They were stable up to 355–308°C in N₂ or air and afforded anaerobic char yield of 66–61% at 800°C. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation of polyamides derived from 1,6-diamantane dicarboxylic chloride by solution polycondensation and interfacial polycondensation

1,6-Diamantane dicarboxvlic acyl chloride ( I ) was used as a monomer with various aromatic diamines to synthesize polyamides by interfacial polycondensation and solution polycon-densation. The polyamides prepared by interfacial polycondensation had inherent viscosities between 0.38 and 0.15 dL/g. The polyamides prepared by solution polycondensation had inherent viscosities between 0.62 and 0.25 dL/g. The polyamides IIIa prepared by solution polycondensation showed the main melting transition at 380°C by dynamic mechanical analysis. In addition, it was quite temperature-stable and maintained good mechanical properties (G′?10⁸ Pa) up to high temperatures close to the main transition well above 350°C. The polyamide IIIA had a tensile strength of 35 MPa, elongations to break of 10%, and initial modulus of 0.8 GPa. Some of the polyamides were soluble in NMP, DMAc, and DMSO, depending on soft segment moiety of diamine ( II ). The polyamides prepared by interfacial polycondensation have a greater tendency to form crystal than those prepared by solution polycondensation, as evidenced by x-ray diffraction studies. These polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the 270–300°C range, and 5% weight loss temperatures up to 435°C in nitrogen. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of fluorine-containing polyamides derived from 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane by direct polycondensation

A fluorine-containing diamine, 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane (BAPPH) ( II ), was synthesized in two steps on condensation of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of potassium carbonate, giving 2,2-bis[4-(4-nitrophenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane ( I ), followed by reduction with hydrazine monohydrate/Pd—C. Fluorine-containing polyamides and copolyamides having inherent viscosities 0.41–0.88 dL g⁻¹ were prepared by direct polycondensation of BAPPH with various aromatic diacids or with mixed diacids, by triphenyl phosphite and pyridine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The polyamides were examined by elemental analysis, IR spectra, inherent viscosity, x-ray diffraction, solubility, DSC, and TGA. The diffractogram showed that the polyamides were crystalline except IVb , IVc , IVf , and Vc . Almost all polyamides were soluble in polar aprotic solvents. The polymers obtained from BAPPH lost no mass below 350°C, with 10% loss of mass being recorded above 467°C in nitrogen. These aromatic polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the 221–253°C range. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Optically transparent,organosoluble poly(ether-amide)s bearing triptycene unit; synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Aromatic polyamides are famous high performance polymeric materials for their excellent thermal, mechanical, electrical properties, which now a days became a dominant platform for modern polymer chemistry area. Triptycene unit like structures in polymer directly affects the physiochemical properties of polymer, thus polyamides especially with triptycene unit in their backbone with aryl ether linkage imparts combination of properties such as better solubility, melts processing characteristics, and better thermal stability in contrast with those of polymers without an aryl-ether linkageNew triptycene-containing bis(ether amine), 1,4-bis(4-aminophenoxy), 2, 3-benzotriptycene (4a) was synthesized from nucleophilic displacement reactions of P-fluoronitrobenzene with 1,4-dihydroxytriptycene, followed by reduction, and elucidated by FTIR, ^1?H, ^13?C NMR spectroscopy and HRMS. A series of new polyamides containing pendant triptycene group and flexibilizing ether linkages was synthesized by polycondensation of diamine with commercially available aromatic diacischlorides viz., terephthalylchloride (TPC), isophthalylchloride (IPC) and varying molar mixture of TPC and IPC accordingly. Synthesized Poly(ether-amide)s were found soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, DMF, DMAc, DMSO also could be cast into excellent transperent thin films. Inherent viscosities of polyamides were in the range 0.44–0.57 dL/g. Polyamides exhibited initial decomposition temperature (T_i), glass transition temperatures (T_g) and temperature at 10% wt loss (t₁₀), which was determined by TGA were noted in the range 212?°C–305?°C, 295?°C –309?°C and 587?°C–631?°C respectively with 24%–54% char yeild at 900?°C under nitrogen atmosphere, indicating its better thermal stability and moderate glass transition temperature.     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble aromatic polyamides derived from 1,4‐Bis(4‐carboxyphenoxy)‐2, 5‐di‐tert‐butylbenzene

Aromatic polyamides based on a novel bis(ether‐carboxylic acid) were synthesized by the direct phosphorylation condensation method. 1,4‐Bis(4‐carboxyphenoxy)‐2,5‐di‐tert‐butylbenzene was combined with various diamines containing flexible linkages and side substituents to render a set of eight novel aromatic polyamides. The polymers were produced with high yields and moderate to high inherent viscosities (0.49–1.32 dL/g) that corresponded to weight‐average and number‐average molecular weights (by gel permeation chromatography) of 31,000–80,000 and 19,000–50,000, respectively. Except for a single example, the polyamides were essentially amorphous and soluble in a variety of common solvents such as cyclohexanone, dioxane, and tetrahydrofuran. They showed glass‐transition temperatures of 250–295 °C (by differential scanning calorimetry) and 10% weight loss temperatures above 460 °C, as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen. Polymer films, obtained by casting from N,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions, exhibited good mechanical properties, with tensile strengths of 83–111 MPa and tensile moduli of 2.0–2.2 GPa. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 475–485, 2001