Heat-Resistant thermosetting polyamide and polymides with styrlpyridine segments derived from 2,2′-(1,4-phenylenedivinylene) bisaminoquinoline

The nitration of quinaldine by fuming nitric and sulfuric acid afforded nitroquinaldine. It was condensed with a half molar amount of 1,4-benzenedicarbaldehyde in the presence of acetic anhydride to yield 2,2′-(1,4-phenylenedivinylene) bisnitroquinoline. The latter was catalytically hydrogenated to the corresponding diamine, PBAQ. The new polyamide and polymides bearing styrylpyridine segments were prepared utilizing PBAQ as starting material. In addition, a model diamide and diimide were synthesized and characterized IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Inherent viscosities of polymers ranged from 0.31 to 0.60 dl/g. Certain polymer precursors such as a bismaleimide and bisnadimide were synthesized from the reactions of PBAQ with maleic and nadic anhydride, respectively. Their curing behavior was investigated by DTA. Curing of polyamide, polyimides, and polymer precursors at 240°C for 15 h yielded crosslinked polymers. They were stable up to 329–310°C in N₂ or air and afforded a char yield of 67–62% in N₂ at 800°C. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation and properties of aromatic polyamides and polyimides derived from 3,3-bis [4-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl] phthalide

3,3-Bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalide ( II ) was used as a monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids and dianhydrides to synthesize polyamides and polyimides, respectively. The diamine II was derived by a nucleophilic substitution of phenolphthalein with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃. Polyamides IV _a-g having inherent viscosities of 0.77–2.46 dL/g were prepared by the direct polycondensation of diamine II with diacids III _a-g using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. The polyamides were readily soluble in a variety of solvents such as N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and afforded transparent and flexible films from the polymer solutions. These polymers had glass transition temperatures (T_gs) in the 227–307°C range and 10% weight loss temperatures occurred up to 450°C. Polyimides VI _a-e based on diamine II and various aromatic dianhydrides V _a-e were synthesized by the two-stage procedure that included ring-opening, followed by thermal or chemical conversion to polyimides. Most of the polyimides obtained by chemical cyclodehydration procedure were found to soluble in DMF, NMP, o-chlorophenol, and m-cresol. The T_gs of these polyimides were in the 260–328°C range and showed almost no weight loss up to 500°C under air and nitrogen atmosphere. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation and properties of novel soluble aromatic polyimides from 4,4′-diaminotriphenylamine and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides

New aromatic polyimides containing triphenylamine unit were prepared by two different methods, i.e., a conventional two-step method starting from 4,4′-diaminotriphenylamine and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides and the one-step thioanhydride method starting from the aromatic diamine and aromatic tetracarboxylic dithioanhydrides. Both procedures yielded high-molecular-weight polyimides with inherent viscosities of 0.47–1.17 dL/g. Some of these polymers were soluble in organic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, m-cresol, and pyridine. All the polyimides afforded transparent, flexible, and tough films, and the color varied from pale yellow to dark red, depending markedly on the tetracarboxylic acid components. The glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of these polyimides were in the range of 287–331°C and the 10% weight loss temperatures were above 520°C in air. The polyimides prepared by the one-step method exhibited better solubility in organic solvents and had somewhat lower T_gs than the polymers prepared by a conventional two-step method.     

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble aromatic polyimides from 3,4-bis(4-aminophenyl)-2,5-diphenylpyrrole and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides

Novel aromatic polyimides containing tetraphenylpyrrole unit were synthesized from 3,4-bis(4-aminophenyl)-2,5-diphenylpyrrole and various aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides by the usual two-step procedure that included ring-opening polyaddition and subsequent thermal cyclodehydration. These polymers had inherent viscosities in the 0.20–0.65 dL/g range and were practically amorphous as shown by the X-ray diffraction studies. All the polyimides except for polypyromellitimide were easily soluble in a wide range of organic solvents such as o-chlorophenol, pyridine, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at room temperature. These polyimides had high glass transition temperatures of 302–359°C and exhibited 10% weight loss at temperatures above 510°C in nitrogen.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Organosoluble Polyimides Containing Pyridyl Moiety with Ether Linkages

Two novel diamine monomers, bis(4‐amino‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐3‐pyridyl methane and bis(4‐aminophenoxy‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)‐3‐pyridyl methane were synthesized. A series of pyridine containing aromatic polyimides derived from the diamines were synthesized through a typical two‐step polymerization method. Most of the polymers show good solubility in NMP, DMAc, DMF, DMSO and CHCl₃ at room temperature. These polyimides exhibit T_g in the range of 249–317°C and 10% wt loss (T₁₀) takes place in the range of 474–564°C in N₂ and 469–558°C in air. The polymers have tensile strength in the range of 88–96 MPa, elongation at break in the range of 8.5–12.5% and tensile modulus in the range of 1.5–2.1 GPa. These polyimides also have low dielectric constant (3.26–3.64 at 1 KHz and 3.24–3.61 at 10 KHz) and low moisture absorption (0.42–0.89%).     

Preparation and properties of aromatic polyimides from 2,2′-bis(p-aminophenoxy)biphenyl or 2,2′-bis)p-aminophenoxy)-1,1′-binaphthyl and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides

New aromatic polyimides containing a biphenyl-2,2′-diyl or 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diyl unit were prepared by a conventional two-step method starting from 2,2′-bis(p-aminophenoxy) biphenyl or 2,2′-bis(p-aminophenoxy)-1,1′-binaphthyl and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides. The polyimides having inherent viscosities of 0.69–0.99 and 0.51–0.59 dL/g, respectively, were obtained. Some of these polymers were readily soluble in a variety of organic solvents including N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide, and pyridine. Transparent, flexible, and pale yellow to brown films of these polymers could be cast from the DMAc or NMP polyamic acid solutions. These aromatic polyimides containing biphenyl and binaphthyl units had glass transition temperatures in the range of 200–235 and 286–358°C, respectively. They began to lose weight around 380°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded at about 470°C in air. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

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     

Crosslinkable aromatic polyimides containing 2,3-dicyanopyrazine rings

New crosslinkable aromatic polyimides were synthesized from 2,3-dicyano-5,6-di(aminophenyl)pyrazine ( 1b ) and 2,3-dicyanopyrazino [5,6–9,10] diaminophenanthrene ( 2b ). They were characterized by viscosimetry, IR, NMR, x-ray, DTA, TMA, TGA, and isothermal gravimetric analysis. The polyimides derived from 1b were amorphous whereas those prepared from 2b showed microcrystalline or crystalline character. The polymers were soluble in polar aprotic solvents (DMF, NMP, DMSO) at ambient temperature or upon heating. They dissolved also completely or partially in certain hot inorganic and organic acids (H₂SO₄, CCl₃COOH). Their glass transition temperatures were in the range of 257–370°C. The crosslinked polymers obtained after an appropriate thermal treatment, were stable up to 397–426°C in N₂ or air and afforded anaerobic char yields of 62–75% at 800°C. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1303–1311, 1997     

Modified polyisophthalamides bearing pendent benzoylamino and/or (phenylamino)carbonyl groups

A series of modified polyisophthalamides were prepared from 5-(phenylamino)carbonyl-1,3-phenylenediamine and 5-benzoylamino-isophthalic acid. The polymers were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, inherent viscosity, water absorption measurements, x-ray, DTA, TGA, and isothermal gravimetric analysis. The modified polyamides were amorphous and softened at 210–245°C. They showed higher hydrophilicity and better solubility in certain solvents such as DMF, DMSO, CCl₃COOH, cyclohexanone, and m-cresol than the corresponding unmodified polyamide. They started to lose weight at 329–344°C in N₂ or air, whereas the degradation of unmodified polyamide started at 320°C in N₂ and 308°C in air. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rigid‐rod polyamides and polyimides prepared from 4,3″‐diamino‐2′,6′‐di(2‐naphthyl)‐p‐terphenyl and 2′,6′,3‴,5‴‐tetra(2‐naphthyl)‐4,4″‐diamino‐p‐quinquephenyl

A series of rigid‐rod polyamides and polyimides containing p‐terphenyl or p‐quinquephenyl moieties in backbone as well as naphthyl pendent groups were synthesized from two new aromatic diamines. The polymers were characterized by inherent viscosity, elemental analysis, FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, X‐ray, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), isothermal gravimetric analysis, and moisture absorption. All polymers were amorphous and displayed T_g values at 304–337°C. Polyamides dissolved upon heating in polar aprotic solvents containing LiCl as well as CCl₃COOH, whereas polyimides were partially soluble in these solvents. No weight loss was observed up to 377–422°C in N₂ and 355–397°C in air. The anaerobic char yields were 57–69% at 800°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 15–24, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides derived from 1,6-bis(4-aminophenoxy)naphthalene and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides

1,6-Bis(4-aminophenoxy)naphthalene ( I ) was used as a monomer with various aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides to synthesize polyimides via a conventional two-stage procedure that included ring-opening polyaddition in a polar solvent such as N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to give poly(amic acid)s, followed by thermal cyclodehydration to polyimides. The diamine ( I ) was prepared through the nucleophilic displacement of 1,6-dihydroxynaphthal-ene 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 0.73–2.31 dL/g. All the poly(amic acid)s could be solution cast and thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough polyimide films. The polyimide films had a tensile modulus range of 1.53–1.84 GPa, a tensile strength range of 95–126 MPa, and an elongation range at break of 9–16%. The polyimide derived from 4,4′-sulfonyldiphthalic anhydride (SDPA) had a better solubility than the other polyimides. These polyimides had glass transition temperatures between 248–286°C (DSC). Thermogravimetric analyses established that these polymers were fairly stable up to 500°C, and the 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 549–595°C in nitrogen and 539–590°C in air atmosphere. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and properties of thermally stable polyimides bearing pendent fluorene moieties

A new diamine monomer containing fluorene unit, 3,5‐diamino‐N‐(9H‐fluoren‐2‐yl)benzamide was successfully synthesized via the condensation of 2‐aminofluorene and 3,5‐dinitrobenzoyl chloride and subsequent reduction of the dinitro compound. A series of novel aromatic polyimides having pendent fluorenamide moieties were prepared from the reaction of the diamine monomer and various tetracarboxylic dianhydrides by a conventional two‐step polymerization process. The polyimides were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.33–0.44 dl/g. The resulting polymers dissolved in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The glass transition temperature of these polymers was in the range of 261–289°C. They were fairly stable up to a temperature around 450°C and lost 10% weight in the range of 498–556°C in nitrogen. The UV–vis absorption spectra showed that all of the polymers had absorption maxima around 320 nm. Cyclic voltammograms of the polyimides revealed an oxidation wave with a peak around 1.3 V. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and crosslinking of cyano-substituted polyamides and polyimides prepared from 1-(2,2-dicyano-1-hydroxyviyl)-3,5-diaminobenzene,sodium salt

3,5-Dinitrobenzoyl chloide was condensed with malononitrile in the presence of sodium hydroxide under phase-transfer conditions to afford 1-(2,2-dicyano-1-hydroxyvinyl)-3,5-dinitrobenzene, sodium salt, which was catalytically hydrogenated to the corresponding diamine. The latter was used as starting material for the preparation of unsaturated cyanosubstituted polyamides and polyimides. The polymers were soluble in polar aprotic solvents, dilute sodium hydroxide, and certain strong inorganic and organic acids. Upon curing at 300°C for 65 h, crosslinked polymers were obtained that were stable up to 392–404°C in N₂ or air and afforded an anaerobic char yield of 60–71% at 800°C. Their glass transition temperatures as determined by thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) were 221–275°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Syntheses and properties of aromatic polyamides and polyimides based on N-phenyl-3,3-bis[4-(p-aminophenoxy) phenyl] phthalimidine

N-Phenyl-3,3-Bis[4-(p-aminophenoxy)phenyl] phthalimidine ( II ) was used as a monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids and tetracarboxylic dianhydrides to synthesize polyamides and polyimides, respectively. The diamine II was derived by a nucleophilic substitution of N-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) phthalimidine with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃ and then hydro-reduced. Polyamides IV _a-g having inherent viscosities of 0.55–1.64 dL/g were prepared by the direct polycondensation of the diamine II with various aromatic diacids using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. All the aromatic polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in various polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Transparent and flexible films of these polymers could be cast from the DMAc solutions. These aromatic polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 293–319°C and 10% weight loss occurred up to 480°C. The polyimides were synthesized from diamine II and various aromatic dianhydrides via the two-stage procedure that included ring-opening polyaddition in DMAc to give poly(amic acid)s, followed by thermal or chemical conversion to polyimides. Most of the aromatic polyimides obtained by chemical cyclization were found to be soluble in NMP, m-cresol, and o-chlorophenol. These polyimides showed almost no weight loss up to 500°C in air or nitrogen atmosphere. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and properties of soluble aromatic polyimides from 2,2′-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)-1,1′-binaphthyl dianhydride and aromatic diamines

Aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride having crank and twisted noncoplanar structure, 2,2′-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)-1,1′-binaphthyl dianhydride, was synthesized by the reaction of 4-nitrophthalonitrile with 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). Binaphthyl-2,2′-diyl–containing novel aromatic polyimides having inherent viscosities up to 0.67 dL/g were obtained by the one-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), and pyridine. These aromatic polyimides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 280–350°C, depending on the nature of the diamine moiety. All polymers were stable up to 400°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded above 485°C in air. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1937–1943, 1998     

Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic polyamides containing 3-trifluoromethyl-substituted triphenylamine

A new 3-trifluoromethyl-substituted triphenylamine-containing aromatic diacid monomer, N,N-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-3-trifluoromethylaniline, was prepared by the substitution reaction of 3-trifluoromethylaniline with 4-fluorobenzonitrile, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the dinitrile intermediate. Novel aromatic polyamides with 3-trifluoromethyl-substituted triphenylamine moieties were prepared from the diacid and various aromatic diamines via the direct phosphorylation polycondensation. All the polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in many polar organic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and could be solution-cast into transparent, tough, and flexible films with good mechanical properties. They exhibited good thermal stability with relatively high glass-transition temperatures (258–327°C), 10% weight-loss temperatures above 500°C, and char yields higher than 60% at 800°C in nitrogen. These polymers had low dielectric constants of 3.22–3.70 (100 Hz), low moisture absorption in the range of 1.75–2.58%, and high transparency with an ultraviolet–visible absorption cut-off wavelength in the 375–395 nm range. Cyclic voltammograms of the polyamide films cast onto an indium tin oxide coated glass substrate exhibited a reversible oxidation redox couple with oxidation half-wave potentials (E_1/2) of 0.95–1.00 V vs. Ag/AgCl in an acetonitrile solution.     

Syntheses and properties of aromatic polyamides and polyimides derived from 9,9-bis[4-(p-aminophenoxy)phenyl]fluorene

9,9-Bis[4-(p-aminophenoxy)phenyl]fluorene ( II ) was used as a monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids and tetracarboxylic dianhydrides to synthesize polyamides and polyimides, respectively. The diamine II was derived by a nucleophilic substitution of 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene with p-chloronitrobenzene in the presence of K₂CO₃ and then hydro-reduced. Polyamides IV _a-g having inherent viscosities of 0.73–1.39 dL/g were prepared by the direct polycondensation of the diamine II with various aromatic diacids using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. All the aromatic polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in various polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Transparent and flexible films of these polymers could be cast from the DMAc solutions. These aromatic polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 283–309°C and 10% weight loss occurred up to 460°C. The polyimides were synthesized from diamine II and various aromatic dianhydrides via the two-stage procedure that included ring-opening poly-addition in DMAc to give poly(amic acid)s, followed by thermal or chemical conversion to polyimides. The poly(amic acid)s had inherent viscosities of 0.62–1.78 dL/g, depending on the dianhydrides. Most of the aromatic polyimides obtained by chemical cyclization were found to be soluble in NMP. These polyimides showed almost no weight loss up to 500°C in air or nitrogen atmosphere. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Highly organosoluble and flexible polyimides with color lightness and transparency based on 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐aminophenoxy)‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl]propane

A new diamine containing isopropylidene, methyl substituted arylene ether, and trifluoromethyl groups, 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐aminophenoxy)‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl]propane (BTADP), was synthesized and used in preparation of a series of polyimides by direct polycondensation with various aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides in N, N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc). All polymers derived from diamine (BTADP) with trifluoromethyl substituents were highly organosoluble in the solvents, like N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP), N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), pyridine, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dichloromethane, cyclohexanone, and γ‐butyrolactone at room temperature or upon heating at 70 °C. Inherent viscosities of the polyimides were found to range between 0.58 and 0.97 dL·g^?1. These polyimides had glass transition temperatures between 256 and 307 °C, and their 10% mass loss temperatures ranged from 440 to 462 °C and 421 to 443 °C under nitrogen and air, respectively. These polyimides had low dielectric constants in the range of 2.84–3.09. All the polyimides could be cast into films from DMAc solutions and were thermally converted into color lightness, optically transparent, flexible, and tough polyimides. The polyimide films had a tensile strength in the range of 83–97 MPa and a tensile modulus in the range of 2.0–2.2 GPa. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5766–5774, 2004     

Synthesis and properties of alternating copolyamide‐imides based on 2,6‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)naphthalene and comparison with its related isomeric polymers

A series of novel polyamide‐imides III containing 2,6‐bis(phenoxy)naphthalene units were synthesized by 2,6‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)naphthalene and various bis(trimellitimide)s in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents through direct polycondensation. The polymers were obtained in quantitative yield with inherent viscosities up to 1.53 dL/g. Most of the polymers showed good solubility in NMP, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide and could be solution‐cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films. The films had tensile strengths of 84–111 MPa, elongations at break of 8–33%, and initial moduli of 2.2–2.8 GPa. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction revealed that most polymers III were amorphous. The glass‐transition temperatures of some of the polymers could be determined by differential scanning calorimetry traces, recorded at 247–290 °C. The polyamide‐imides exhibited excellent thermal stabilities and had 10% weight loss at temperatures in the range of 501–575 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. They left more than 57% residue even at 800 °C in nitrogen. A comparative study of some corresponding polyamide‐imides is also presented. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2591–2601, 2001     

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