Organosoluble and colorless fluorinated poly(ether imide)s from 1,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)benzene dianhydride and trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s

A series of novel aromatic poly(ether imide)s (PEI) containing ortho‐catenated phenylene rings and pendant trifluoromethyl group have been prepared from 1,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)benzene dianhydride (1) with seven trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s ( 2a‐g ) via a conventional two‐stage process that included ring‐opening polyaddition to form the poly(amic acid)s followed by chemical imidization to the polyimides. These PEIs had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.45–1.17 dL/g that corresponded to weight–average and number–average molecular weights (by gel‐permeation chromatography) of 42,000–102,000 and 28,500–67,500, respectively. All the PEIs were readily soluble in many organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into transparent, flexible, and strong films. These films were essentially colorless; they had a very low yellowness index of 4.34–6.55 and an UV–vis absorption cut‐off wavelength at 361–370 nm. The PEIs exhibited moderate‐to‐high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 185–270 °C, softening temperatures (T_s) in the range of 184–275 °C, and 10% weight loss temperatures higher than 466 °C in nitrogen or in air. They also showed low moisture absorptions of 0.49–0.70% and low dielectric constants of 2.78–3.26 (measured at 10 kHz). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3092–3102, 2006     

Novel organosoluble and colorless poly(ether imide)s based on 3,3‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]phthalide dianhydride and aromatic bis(ether amine)s bearing pendent trifluoromethyl groups

A novel series of colorless and highly organosoluble poly(ether imide)s were prepared from 3,3‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]phthalide dianhydride with various fluorinated aromatic bis(ether amine)s via a conventional two‐stage process that included ring‐opening polyaddition to form the poly(amic acid)s followed by cyclodehydration to produce the polymer films. The poly(ether imide)s showed excellent solubility, with most of them dissoluble at a concentration of 10 wt % in amide polar solvents, in ether‐type solvents, and even in chlorinated solvents. Their films had a cutoff wavelength between 358 and 373 nm, and the yellowness index ranged from 3.1 to 9.5. The glass‐transition temperatures of the poly(ether imide) series were recorded between 237 and 297 °C, the decomposition temperatures at 10% weight loss were all above 494 °C, and the residue was more than 54% at 800 °C in nitrogen. These films showed high tensile strength and also were characterized by higher solubility, lighter color, and lower dielectric constants and moisture absorption than an analogous nonfluorinated polyimide series. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3140–3152, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of new highly organosoluble poly(ether imide)s based on 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride

A new bis(ether anhydride), 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride ( 3 ), was prepared in three steps: the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)propane, the alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile), and the subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of new highly soluble poly(ether imide)s with tetramethyl and isopropylidene groups were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) 3 with various diamines by a conventional two‐stage synthesis including polyaddition and chemical cyclodehydration. The resulting poly(ether imide)s had inherent viscosities of 0.54–0.73 dL g^?1. Gel permeation chromatography measurements revealed that the polymers had number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights of up to 54,000 and 124,000, respectively. All the polymers showed typical amorphous diffraction patterns. All of the poly(ether imide)s showed excellent solubility and were readily dissolved in various solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, pyridine, cyclohexanone, tetrahydrofuran, and even chloroform. Most of the polymers could be dissolved with chloroform concentrations as high as 30 wt %. These polymers had glass‐transition temperatures of 244–282 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that all polymers were stable, with 10% weight losses recorded above 463 °C in nitrogen. These transparent, tough, and flexible polymer films were obtained through solution casting from N,N‐dimethylacetamide solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths of 81–102 MPa and tensile moduli of 1.8–2.0 GPa. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2556–2563, 2002     

New light‐colored poly(ether imide)s based on 2,5‐di‐tert‐butylhydroquinone bis(ether anhydride) and aromatic diamines

A series of poly(ether imide)s (PEIs), III _a–k , with light color and good physical properties were prepared from 1,4‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxypheoxy)‐2,5‐di‐tert‐butylbenzene dianhydride ( I ) with various aromatic diamines ( II _a–k ) via a conventional two‐stage procedure that included a ring‐opening polyaddition to yield poly(amic acid)s (PAA), followed by thermal imidization to the PEI. The intermediate PAA had inherent viscosities in the range of 1.00–1.53 dL g^?1. Most of the PEIs showed excellent solubility in chlorinated solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, and m‐cresol, but did not easily dissolve in dimethyl sulfoxide and amide‐type polar solvents. The III series had tensile strengths of 96–116 MPa, an elongation at break of 7–8%, and initial moduli of 2.0–2.5 GPa. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) and softening temperatures (T_s's) of the III series were recorded between 232 and 285 °C and 216–279 °C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures for 10% weight loss all occurred above 511 °C in nitrogen and 487 °C in air. The III series showed low dielectric constants (2.71–3.54 at 1 MHz), low moisture absorption (0.18–0.66 wt %), and was light‐colored with a cutoff wavelength below 380 nm and a low yellow index (b^*) values of 7.3–14.8. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1270–1284, 2005     

Synthesis and properties of new adamantane‐based poly(ether imide)s

A new adamantane‐based bis(ether anhydride), 2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane dianhydride, was prepared in three steps starting from nitrodisplacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with the potassium phenolate of 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)adamantane. A series of adamantane‐containing poly(ether imide)s were prepared from the adamantane‐based bis(ether anhydride) and aromatic diamines by a conventional two‐stage synthesis in which the poly(ether amic acid)s obtained in the first stage were heated stage‐by‐stage at 150–270°C to give the poly(ether imide)s. The intermediate poly(ether amic acid)s had inherent viscosities between 0.56 and 1.92 dL/g. Except for those from p‐phenylenediamine, m‐phenylenediamine, and benzidine, all the poly(ether amic acid) films could be thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough poly(ether imide) films. All the poly(ether imide)s showed limited solubility in organic solvents, although they were amorphous in nature as evidenced by X‐ray diffractograms. Glass transition temperatures of these poly(ether imide)s were recorded in the range of 242–317°C by differential scanning calorimetry and of 270–322°C by dynamic mechanical analysis. They exhibited high resistance to thermal degrdation, with 10% weight loss temperatures being recorded between 514–538°C in nitrogen and 511–527°C in air. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1619–1628, 1999     

Thermally stable and organosoluble binaphthylene‐based poly(urea‐ether‐imide)s: one‐pot preparation and characterization

A new family of wholly aromatic poly(urea‐ether‐imide)s ( 4a–4f ) possessing binaphthylene‐twisted rings was prepared by diphenyl azidophosphate (DPAP)‐activated one‐pot polyaddition reaction of a preformed imide heterocyclic ring‐containing dicarboxylic acid, 2,2′‐bis(4‐trimellitimidophenoxy)‐ 1,1′‐binaphthyl ( 1 ) with various kinds of aromatic diamines ( 3a–3f ). At first, with due attention to structural similarity and to compare the characterization data, a model compound 2 was synthesized by the reaction of diimide‐dicarboxylic acid 1 with two mole equivalents of aniline. In this direct method, the polymers were prepared by polyaddition reactions of the in situ‐formed diisocyanate with the aromatic diamines. Molecular weights of the poly(urea‐ether‐imide)s obtained were evaluated viscometrically, and the inherent viscosities (η_inh) measured were in the range 0.10– 0.25 dl/g. All of the polymers were characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopic method and elemental analysis. All of the resulting polymers exhibited an excellent solubility in common polar solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), and N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Crystallinity of the resulted polymers was evaluated by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WXRD) method, and they exhibited nearly a non‐crystalline nature as evidenced by their diffractograms. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of the polymers determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms were in the range of 274–302°C. The temperatures at 10% weight loss (T_d10%) from their thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) curves were found to be in the range of 389–414°C in nitrogen atmosphere. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Syntheses and properties of organosoluble poly(ether imide)s from 1,1‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane dianhydride and aromatic diamines

A bis(ether anhydride) monomer, 1,1‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane dianhydride ( IV‐A ), was synthesized from the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalodinitrile by the phenoxide ion of 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane ( I‐A ), followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and dehydration of the resulting bis(ether acid). A novel series of organosoluble poly(ether imide)s ( VI _a–i )(PEIs) bearing cyclohexylidene cardo groups was prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) IV‐A with various aromatic diamines V _a–i via a conventional two‐stage process. The PEIs had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.48–1.02 dL/g and afforded flexible and tough films by solution‐casting because of their good solubilities in organic solvents. Most PEIs showed yield points in the range of 89–102 MPa at stress‐strain curves and had tensile strengths of 78–103 MPa, elongations at breaks of 8–62%, and initial moduli of 1.8–2.2 GPa. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of these PEIs were recorded between 200–234 °C. Decomposition temperatures of 10% weight loss all occurred above 490 °C in both air and nitrogen atmospheres, and their residues were more than 43% at 800 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The cyclohexane cardo‐based PEIs exhibited relatively higher T_g's, better solubilities in organic solvents, and better tensile properties as compared with the corresponding Ultem® PEI system. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 788–799, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of new highly organosoluble poly(etherimide)s derived from 1,1‐bis{4‐[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐phenylcyclohexane} dianhydride

A new bulky pendent bis(ether anhydride), 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]‐4‐phenylcyclohexane dianhydride, was prepared in three steps, starting from the nitrodisplacement of 1,1‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐4‐phenylcyclohexane with 4‐nitrophthalonitrile to form bis(ether dinitrile), followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of new poly(ether imide)s were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) with various diamines by a conventional two‐stage synthesis including polyaddition and subsequent chemical cyclodehydration. The resulting poly(ether imide)s had inherent viscosities of 0.50–0.73 dL g^?1. The gel permeation chromatography measurements revealed that the polymers had number‐average and weight‐average molecular weights of up to 57,000 and 130,000, respectively. All the polymers showed typical amorphous diffraction patterns. All of the poly(ether imide)s showed excellent solubility in comparison with the other polyimides derived from adamantane, norbornane, cyclododecane, and methanohexahydroindane and were readily dissolved in various solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N‐dimethylformamide, pyridine, cyclohexanone, tetrahydrofuran, and even chloroform. These polymers had glass‐transition temperatures of 226–255 °C. Most of the polymers could be dissolved in chloroform in as high as a 30 wt % concentration. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that all polymers were stable up to 450 °C, with 10% weight losses recorded from 458 to 497 °C in nitrogen. These transparent, tough, and flexible polymer films could be obtained by solution casting from DMAc solutions. These polymer films had tensile strengths of 79–103 MPa and tensile moduli of 1.5–2.1 GPa. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2066–2074, 2002     

Developing a novel alkaline anion exchange membrane derived from poly(ether‐imide) for improved ionic conductivity

We have developed a novel alkaline anion exchange membrane derived from poly(ether‐imide) for improved ionic conductivity. The effects of several important parameters on the chloromethylation of the membrane were investigated. These parameters included reaction temperature, reaction time, concentration of chloromethylation agent, concentration of polymer, and the amount of catalyst. The quaternization of the synthesized chloromethylated polymer was studied as well. The results show that all the studied parameters exhibited significant impacts on chloromethylation. Among them, the concentration of the chloromethylation agent played a key role in increasing the chloromethyl functional group attachment onto the polymer. It was found that the gelation could be avoided if these reaction parameters were controlled. It was also found that using an appropriate quaternization approach could significantly improve the ionic conductivity and optimize the conductivity of the membrane even though the functional chloromethyl groups attached to the polymer are limited. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Miscibility,melting, and crystallization of poly(butylene‐2,6‐naphthalate)/poly(ether imide) blends

We prepared blends of poly(butylene‐2,6‐naphthalate) (PBN) and poly(ether imide) (PEI) by solution‐casting from dichloroacetic acid solutions. The miscibility, crystallization, and melting behavior of the blends were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis. PBN was miscible with PEI over the entire range of compositions, as shown by the existence of single composition‐dependent glass‐transition temperatures. In addition, a negative polymer–polymer interaction parameter was calculated, with the Nishi–Wang equation, based on the melting depression of PBN. In nonisothermal crystallization investigations, the depression of the crystallization temperature of PBN depended on the composition of the blend and the cooling rate; the presence of PEI reduced the number of PBN segments migrating to the crystallite/melt interface. Melting, recrystallization, and remelting processes occurring during the DSC heating scan caused the occurrence of multiple melting endotherms for PBN. We explored the effects of various experimental conditions on the melting behavior of PBN/PEI blends. The extent of recrystallization of the PBN component during DSC heating scans decreased as the PEI content, the heating rate, the crystallization temperature, and the crystallization time increased. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1694–1704, 2004     

Synthesis and chirooptical properties of optically active poly(ester imide)s based on axially asymmetric 1,1′‐binaphthyls

A series of optically active poly(ester imide)s (PEsI's) has been synthesized by the polycondensation reactions of new axially asymmetric dianhydrides, that is, (R)‐2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxybenzoyloxy)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl dianhydride and (S)‐2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxybenzoyloxy)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl dianhydride, and various diamines with aromatic, semiaromatic, and aliphatic structures. The polymers have inherent viscosities of 0.45–0.70 dL/g, very good solubility in common organic solvents, glass‐transition temperatures of 124–290 °C, and good thermal stability. Wide‐angle X‐ray crystallography of these polymers shows no crystal diffraction. In comparison with model compounds, an enhanced optical rotatory power has been observed for the repeat unit of optically active PEsI's based on aromatic diamines, and it has been attributed to a collaborative asymmetric perturbation of chiral 1,1′‐binaphthyls along the rigid backbones. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4318–4326, 2004     

Aromatic poly(1,3,4‐oxadiazole)s and poly(amide‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole)s containing ether sulfone linkages

Polyhydrazides and poly(amide‐hydrazide)s were prepared from two ether‐sulfone‐dicarboxylic acids, 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoic acid and 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoic acid, or their diacyl chlorides with terephthalic dihydrazide, isophthalic dihydrazide, and p‐aminobenzhydrazide via a phosphorylation reaction or a low‐temperature solution polycondensation. All the hydrazide polymers were found to be amorphous according to X‐ray diffraction analysis. They were readily soluble in polar organic solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and N,N‐dimethylacetamide and could afford colorless, flexible, and tough films with good mechanical strengths via solvent casting. These hydrazide polymers exhibited glass‐transition temperatures of 149–207 °C and could be thermally cyclodehydrated into the corresponding oxadiazole polymers in the solid state at elevated temperatures. Although the oxadiazole polymers showed a significantly decreased solubility with respect to their hydrazide prepolymers, some oxadiazole polymers were still organosoluble. The thermally converted oxadiazole polymers had glass‐transition temperatures of 217–255 °C and softening temperatures of 215–268 °C and did not show significant weight loss before 400 °C in nitrogen or air. For a comparative study, related sulfonyl polymers without the ether groups were also synthesized from 4,4′‐sulfonyldibenzoic acid and the hydrazide monomers by the same synthetic routes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2271–2286, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of new fluorene‐based poly(ether imide)s

A novel bis(ether anhydride) monomer, 9,9‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]fluorene dianhydride (4), was synthesized from the nitrodisplacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile by the bisphenoxide ion of 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (1), followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate tetranitrile and dehydration of the resulting tetracarboxylic acid. A series of poly(ether imide)s bearing the fluorenylidene group were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) 4 with various aromatic diamines 5a–i via a conventional two‐stage process that included ring‐opening polyaddition to form the poly(amic acid)s 6a–i followed by thermal cyclodehydration to the polyimides 7a–i. The intermediate poly(amic acid)s had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.39–1.57 dL/g and afforded flexible and tough films by solution‐casting. Except for those derived from p‐phenylenediamine, m‐phenylenediamine, and benzidine, all other poly(amic acid) films could be thermally transformed into flexible and tough polyimide films. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of these poly(ether imide)s were recorded between 238–306°C with the help of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the softening temperatures (T_s) determined by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) stayed in the range of 231–301°C. Decomposition temperatures for 10% weight loss all occurred above 540°C in an air or a nitrogen atmosphere. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1403–1412, 1999     

Novel method for preparation of poly(benzoxazinone‐imide)

A novel method was developed to prepare poly(benzoxazinone‐imide) by the dealcoholization of poly(amide‐imide), having pendent ethoxycarbonyl groups, which was prepared from poly(amide acid). The poly(amide acid) was prepared from the reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4′‐diamino‐6‐ethoxycarbonyl benzanilide. The curing behavior of the poly(amide acid) was monitored by DSC, which indicated the presence of two broad endotherms, one with maximum at 153 °C due to imide‐ring formation and the other with maximum at 359 °C due to benzoxazinone‐ring formation. The poly(amide acid) was thermally treated at 300 °C/1 h to get poly(amide‐imide) with pendent ester groups, then at 350 °C/2 h to convert into poly(benzoxazinone‐imide) by dealcoholization. Viscoelastic measurements of the poly(amide‐imide) showed that the storage modulus dropped at about 280 °C with glass‐transition temperature (T_g ) at about 340 °C. The storage modulus of poly(benzoxazinone‐imide), however, was almost constant up to 400 °C and no T_g was detected below 400 °C. Also, the tensile modulus and tensile strength of the poly(benzoxazinone‐imide) was much higher than that of the poly(amide‐imide). The 5% decomposition of poly(benzoxazinone‐imide) film was at 535 °C, which reflects its excellent thermal stability. Also, poly(benzoxazinone‐imide) showed more hydrolytic stability against alkali in comparison to polyimides. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1647–1655, 2000     

Polymer electrolyte membrane based on poly(ether sulfone) containing binaphthyl units with pendant perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids

A novel poly(ether sulfone) containing binaphthyl units with pendant perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids ( BNSH‐PSA ) was developed for a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). The BNSH‐PSA was prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1,1′‐binaphthyl‐4,4′‐diol and 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenylsulfone, followed by the bromination with bromine, and then the Ullman coupling reaction with potassium 1,1,2,2,‐tetrafluoro‐2‐(1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoro‐2‐iodoethoxy) ethanesulfonate ( PSA‐K ). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of BNSH‐PSA was estimated to be 1.91 mequiv/g, which corresponded to full conversion to the perfluroalkyl sulfonic acids. The BNSH‐PSA membrane prepared by solution casting showed high oxidative and dimensional stability. High proton conductivity comparable to the Nafion 117 membrane was accomplished in the range of 30–95% relative humidity (RH) due to the high acidity of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. Furthermore, atomic force microscopic observation supported the formation of the phase‐separated structure that the hydrophilic domains were well dispersed and connected to each other. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated poly(amide imide)s derived from 1,4‐bis(2′‐trifluoromethyl‐4′‐trimellitimidophenoxy)benzene and aromatic diamines

A series of fluorinated poly(amide imide)s were prepared from 1,4‐bis(2′‐trifluoromethyl‐4′‐trimellitimidophenoxy)benzene and various aromatic diamines [3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐4,4′‐diaminediphenylmethane, α,α‐bis(4‐amino‐3,5‐dimethyl phenyl)‐3′‐trifluoromethylphenylmethane, 1,4‐bis(4′‐amino‐2′‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)benzene, 4‐(3′‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐2,6‐bis(3′‐aminophenyl)pyridine, and 1,1‐bis(4′‐aminophenyl)‐1‐(3′‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐2,2,2‐trifluoroethane]. The fluorinated poly(amide imide)s, prepared by a one‐step polycondensation procedure, had good solubility both in strong aprotic solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and cyclopentanone, and in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran and m‐cresol. Strong and flexible polymer films with tensile strengths of 84–99 MPa and ultimate elongation values of 6–9% were prepared by the casting of polymer solutions onto glass substrates, followed by thermal baking. The poly(amide imide) films exhibited high thermal stability, with glass‐transition temperatures of 257–266 °C and initial thermal decomposition temperatures of greater than 540 °C. The polymer films also had good dielectric properties, with dielectric constants of 3.26–3.52 and dissipation factors of 3.0–7.7 × 10^?3, and acceptable electrical insulating properties. The balance of excellent solubility and thermal stability associated with good mechanical and electrical properties made the poly(amide imide)s potential candidates for practical applications in the microelectronics industry and other related fields. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1831–1840, 2003     

Poly(ether‐imide) and related sepiolite nanocomposites: investigation of physical,thermal, and mechanical properties

Novel poly(ether‐imide) and sepiolite nanocomposites were synthesized based on a unique diamine monomer with the aim of improving physical and mechanical properties of final polyimide films. The diamine was polycondensed with 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphthalic anhydride to produce related poly(ether amic acid) prepolymer. Pure poly(ether‐imide) and nanocomposite films were prepared via thermal imidization process of poly(ether amic acid). Coexistence of ether, pyridine, and phenylene functional groups in the diamine chemical structure resulted in flexible polyimide films with significant thermal, physical, and mechanical properties. Thermal stability, glass‐transition temperature, dimensional stability, and tensile properties of polymer and nanocomposites were studied and compared. Morphology of nanocomposites was also investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopic methods to study the distribution and dispersion behavior of sepiolite nanofibers in the polyimide matrix. By introduction of sepiolite nanoparticles, overall improvement of properties was observed in respect to pure polyimides. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ether imide)s based on a benzonorbornane bis(ether anhydride)

A novel bis(ether anhydride) monomer, 3,6‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)benzonorbornane dianhydride, was synthesized from the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with 3,6‐dihydroxybenzonorbornane in the presence of potassium carbonate, followed by the alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and the cyclodehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of poly(ether imide)s bearing pendant norbornane groups were prepared from the bis(ether anhydride) with various aromatic diamines via a conventional two‐stage process that included ring‐opening polyaddition to form the poly(amic acid)s followed by thermal imidization to the poly(ether imide)s. The inherent viscosities of the poly(amic acid) precursors were 0.81–1.81 dL/g. The poly(ether imide) with m‐phenylenediamine as a diamine showed good organosolubility. Most of the cast poly(ether imide) films have had high tensile strengths and moduli. The glass‐transition temperatures of these poly(ether imide)s, except for those from rigid p‐phenylenediamine and benzidine, were recorded between 211 and 246 °C by differential scanning calorimetry. The softening temperatures of all the poly(ether imide) films stayed within 210–330 °C according to thermomechanical analysis. No polymers showed significant decomposition before 500 °C in a nitrogen or air atmosphere. A comparative study of the properties with the corresponding poly(ether imide)s without pendant substituents was also made. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1712–1725, 2002     

Poly(aryl ether)s containing o‐terphenyl subunits. III. Random copoly(ether imide)s

The synthesis of a new diamine monomer, N‐n‐butyl 3,12‐diamino‐5,6,9,10‐tetrahydro[5]helicene‐7,8‐dicarboxylic imide (4), that contains a helically locked, U‐shaped 4′,4″‐o‐terphenyl moiety is described. The monomer was polymerized with 3,3′,4,4′‐oxydiphthalic dianhydride and 2,2‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]propane to form a series of copoly(ether imide)s (5a–e). The incorporation of 4 into the poly(ether imide)s varied the glass‐transition temperature of the copolymers of which it was a part. There was a tendency to form macrocyclic materials at higher molar percentages of 4 during polymerization. The fluorescence of all the copoly(ether imide)s gradually decreased as the content derived from monomer 4 increased in the polymer. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 758–763, 2000