Synthesis and properties of aromatic polyimides derived from 2,2,′3,3′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride

2,2,′3,3′‐Biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (2,2,′3,3′‐BPDA) was prepared by a coupling reaction of dimethyl 3‐iodophthalate. The X‐ray single‐crystal structure determination showed that this dianhydride had a bent and noncopolanar structure, presenting a striking contrast to its isomer, 3,3,′4,4′‐BPDA. This dianhydride was reacted with aromatic diamines in a polar aprotic solvent such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to form polyamic acid intermediates, which imidized chemically to polyimides with inherent viscosities of 0.34–0.55 dL/g, depending on the diamine used. The polyimides from 2,2,′3,3′‐BPDA exhibited a good solubility and were dissolved in polar aprotic solvents and polychlorocarbons. These polyimides have high glass transition temperatures above 283°C. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that these polyimides were fairly stable up to 500°C, and the 5% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range of 534–583°C in nitrogen atmosphere and 537–561°C in air atmosphere. All polyimides were amorphous according to X‐ray determination. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1425–1433, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of polyimides derived from (3‐amino‐2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)‐(3′‐aminophenyl)methanone and aromatic dianhydrides

A series of new polyimides were prepared via the polycondensation of (3‐amino‐2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)‐(3′‐aminophenyl)methanone and aromatic dianhydrides, that is, 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride, 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and 2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride. The structures of the polyimides were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and NMR measurements. The properties were evaluated by solubility tests, ultraviolet–visible analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The two different meta‐position‐located amino groups with respect to the carbonyl bridge in the diamine monomer provided it with an unsymmetrical structure. This led to a restriction on the close packing of the resulting polymer chains and reduced interchain interactions, which contributed to the solubility increase. All the polyimides except that derived from BPDA had good solubility in strong aprotic solvents, such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N′‐dimethylacetamide, N,N‐dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfone, and in common organic solvents, such as cyclohexanone and chloroform. In addition, these polyimides exhibited high glass‐transition values and excellent thermal properties, with an initial thermal decomposition temperature above 470 °C and glass‐transition temperatures in the range of 280–320 °C. The polyimide films also exhibited good transparency in the visible‐light region, with transmittance higher than 80% at 450 nm and a cutoff wavelength lower than 370 nm. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1291–1298, 2006     

6,6′‐Dimethoxygossypolone

6,6′‐Dimethoxygossypolone (systematic name: 7,7′‐dihydroxy‐5,5′‐diisopropyl‐6,6′‐dimethoxy‐3,3′‐dimethyl‐1,1′,4,4′‐tetraoxo‐2,2′‐binaphthalene‐8,8′‐dicarbaldehyde), C₃₂H₃₀O₁₀, is a dimeric molecule formed by oxidation of 6,6′‐dimethoxygossypol. When crystallized from acetone, 6,6′‐dimethoxygossypolone has monoclinic (P2₁/c) symmetry, and there are two molecules within the asymmetric unit. Of the four independent quinoid rings, three display flattened boat conformations and one displays a flattened chair/half‐chair conformation. The angles between the planes of the two bridged naphthoquinone structures are fairly acute, with values of about 68 and 69°. The structure has several intramolecular O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds and several weak intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds, but no intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds.     

Syntheses of multicyclic poly(ether sulfone)s from 5,5′,6,6′‐tetrahydroxy‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl spirobisindane and 4,4′‐bis(4‐chlorophenyl) sulfones

5,5′,6,6′‐Tetrahydroxy‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl spirobisindane (TTSBI) was polycondensed with 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenyl sulfone (DCDPS) or with 4,4′‐bis(4‐chlorophenyl sulfonyl) biphenyl (BCSBP) in DMSO. Concentration and feed ratio were optimized to avoid gelation and to obtain a maximum yield of multicyclic polyethers free of functional groups. Regardless of these reaction conditions, only low fractions of perfect multicycles were obtained from DCDPS apparently due to steric hindrance of ring closure. Under the same conditions high fractions of perfect multicycles were achieved with the longer and more flexible DCSBP. The reaction products were characterized by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry, ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy viscosity, and DSC measurements. Relatively low glass transition temperatures (T_gs ≈ 160–175 °C) were found. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3732–3739, 2008     

Syntheses and properties of organosoluble polyimides based on 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐4, 7‐methanohexahydroindan

A series of organosoluble aromatic polyimides (PIs) was synthesized from 5,5′‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan (3) and commercial available aromatic dianhydrides such as 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), 4,4′‐sulfonyl diphthalic anhydride (SDPA), or 2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropanic dianhydride (6FDA). PIs (III_c–f), which were synthesized by direct polymerization in m‐cresol, had inherent viscosities of 0.83–1.05 dL/g. These polymers could easily be dissolved in N,N′‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), pyridine, m‐cresol, and dichloromethane. Whereas copolymerization was proceeded with equivalent molar ratios of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)/6FDA, 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA)/6FDA, or BTDA/SDPA, or ½ for PMDA/SDPA, copolyimides (co‐PIs), derived from 3 and mixed dianhydrides, were soluble in NMP. All the soluble PIs could form transparent, flexible, and tough films, and they showed amorphous characteristics. These films had tensile strengths of 88–111 MPa, elongations at break of 5–10% and initial moduli of 2.01–2.67 GPa. The glass transition temperatures of these polymers were in the range of 252–311°C. Except for III_e, the 10% weight loss temperatures (T_d) of PIs were above 500°C, and the amount of carbonized residues of the PIs at 800°C in nitrogen atmosphere were above 50%. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1681–1691, 1999     

Cyclic and telechelic ladder polymers derived from tetrahydroxytetramethylspirobisindane and 1,4‐dicyanotetrafluorobenzene

5,5′,6,6′‐Tetrahydroxy‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethylspirobisindane was polycondensed with 1,4‐dicyanotetrafluorobenzene in four different solvents at 70 °C. In dimethylformamide, N‐methylpyrrolidone, and sulfolane exclusively, cyclic polymers were detectable by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry up to masses around 13,000 Da. In dimethyl sulfoxide, linear byproducts were also found. Higher temperatures caused degradation reactions catalyzed by potassium carbonate. Polycondensations performed with the addition of 4‐tert‐butyl catechol or 2,2′‐dihydroxy binaphthyl yielded linear telechelic oligomers. Equimolar mixtures of linear and cyclic ladder polymers were examined by MALDI‐TOF mass spectra to determine how the end groups and the cyclic structure influenced the signal‐to‐noise ratio. The results suggested a preferential detection of the linear chains. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5344–5352, 2006     

Synthesis and Characterization of Fluorinated Polyimide Derived from 3,3′‐Diisopropyl‐4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl‐3′′,4′′‐difluorophenylmethane

A novel aromatic diamine monomer, 3,3′‐diisopropyl‐4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl‐3′′,4′′‐difluorophenylmethane (PAFM), was successfully synthesized by coupling of 2‐isopropylaniline and 3,4‐difluorobenzaldehyde. The aromatic diamine was adopted to synthesize a series of fluorinated polyimides by polycondensation with various dianhydrides: pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) and 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) via the conventional one‐step method. These polyimides presented excellent solubility in common organic solvents, such as N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N‐dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), chloroform (CHCl₃), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and so on. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of fluorinated polyimides were in the range of 260–306°C and the temperature at 10% weight loss in the range of 474–502°C. Their films showed the cut‐off wavelengths of 330–361 nm and higher than 80% transparency in a wavelength range of 385–463 nm. Moreover, polymer films exhibited low dielectric properties in the range of 2.76–2.96 at 1 MHz, as well as prominent mechanical properties with tensile strengths of 66.7–97.4 MPa, a tensile modulus of 1.7–2.1 GPa and elongation at break of 7.2%–12.9%. The polymer films also showed outstanding hydrophobicity with the contact angle in the range of 91.2°–97.9°.     

Improvement of thermoplasticity for s‐BPDA/PDA by copolymerization and blend with novel asymmetric BPDA‐based polyimides

Asymmetric biphenyl type polyimides (PI) derived from 2,3,3′,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a‐BPDA) and p‐phenylenediamine (PDA) or 4,4′‐oxydianiline (ODA) show higher T_gs, and much better thermoplasticity than the corresponding isomeric PIs from symmetric 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (s‐BPDA). In addition, a‐BPDA‐derived PIs are completely amorphous owing to their bent chain structures and highly distorted conformations, whereas the PIs from s‐BPDA are semicrystalline. a‐BPDA‐derived PIs possessing these properties or the a‐BPDA monomer were used as a flexible blend component or a comonomer to improve the insufficient thermoplasticity of semirigid s‐BPDA/PDA homo polymer. The blends composed of s‐BPDA/PDA (80%) with a‐BPDA‐derived PIs (20%), as well as the s‐BPDA/PDA‐based copolymer containing 20% a‐BPDA, showed a certain extent of thermoplasticity above the T_gs without causing a decrease in T_g. In addition, these blends and copolymer provided comparatively low thermal expansion coefficient (ca. 18 ppm). The improved film properties for the blends are related to good blend miscibility. On the other hand, when s‐BPDA/ODA was used as a flexible matrix polymer instead of a‐BPDA‐derived PIs, the 80/20 blend film annealed at 400°C exhibited no prominent softening at the T_g. This result arises from annealing‐induced crystallization of the flexible s‐BPDA/ODA component. Thus, these results revealed that a‐BPDA‐derived PIs are promising candidates as matrix polymers for semirigid s‐BPDA/PDA for the present purpose. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2499–2511, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of fluorinated polyimides from a new unsymmetrical diamine: 1,4‐(2′‐Trifluoromethyl‐4′,4′‐diaminodiphenoxy)benzene

A new aromatic, unsymmetrical ether diamine with a trifluoromethyl pendent group, 1,4‐(2′‐trifluoromethyl‐4′,4″‐diaminodiphenoxy)benzene, was successfully synthesized in three steps with hydroquinone as a starting material and polymerized with various aromatic tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides, including 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride, 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,2′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl)‐hexafluoropropane dianhydride, and pyromellitic dianhydride, via a conventional two‐step thermal or chemical imidization method to produce a series of fluorinated polyimides. The polyimides were characterized with solubility tests, viscosity measurements, IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction studies, and thermogravimetric analysis. The polyimides had inherent viscosities of 0.56–0.77 dL/g and were easily dissolved in both polar, aprotic solvents and common, low‐boiling‐point solvents. The resulting strong and flexible polyimide films exhibited excellent thermal stability, with decomposition temperatures (at 5% weight loss) above 522 °C and glass‐transition temperatures in the range of 232–272 °C. Moreover, the polymer films showed outstanding mechanical properties, with tensile strengths of 74.5–121.7 MPa, elongations at break of 6–13%, and initial moduli of 1.46–1.95 GPa, and good dielectric properties, with low dielectric constants of 1.82–2.53 at 10 MHz. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction measurements revealed that these polyimides were predominantly amorphous. These outstanding combined features ensure that the polymers are desirable candidate materials for advanced microelectronic applications. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6836–6846, 2006     

Enhancing the glass‐transition temperature of polyimide copolymers containing 2,2′‐bipyridine units by the coordination of nickel malenonitriledithiolate

Polyimide copolymers containing 2,2′‐bipyridine were synthesized and characterized. The glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of the polymers ranged from 260 to 300 °C. In contrast to most known organic chromophore‐containing polyimides, the polyimide copolymers in this study showed elevated T_g's (270–320 °C) after coordination with nickel malenonitriledithiolate inorganic chromophores. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 498–503, 2000     

Cyclic and multicyclic poly(ether sulfone)s by polycondensation of 5,5′,6,6′‐tetrahydroxy‐ 3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl spirobisindane and 4,4′‐difluorodiphenylsulfone

5.5′,6,6′‐Tetrahydroxy‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl spirobisindane (TTSBI) was polycondensed with 4,4′‐difluorodiphenylsulfone (DFDPS) in DMSO with K₂CO₃ as catalyst and azeotopic removal of water. The feed ratio of DFDPS/TTSBI was varied from 1.0/1.0 to 2.0/1.0 at concentrations avoiding gelation. At feed ratios around 1.0/1.0 hyperbranched polymers were a minority and cyclic poly(ether sulfone)s were the predominant reaction products. With increasing feed ratio of DFDPS more and more multicyclic polymers were formed, and at a feed ratio of 1.9/1.0 perfect multicycles free of functional groups were the vast majority of the reaction product. Despite variation of the reaction conditions quantitative conversion was not achieved. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5597–5605, 2007     

2,2′‐Anhydro‐1‐(3′,5′‐di‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)uracil,a cyclouridine nucleoside with a C4′‐endo furanosyl conformation

2,2′‐Anhydro‐1‐(3′,5′‐di‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosyl)uracil, C₁₃H₁₄N₂O₇, was obtained by refluxing 2′,3′‐O‐(methoxymethylene)uridine in acetic anhydride. The structure exhibits a nearly perfect C4′‐endo (⁴E) conformation. The best four‐atom plane of the five‐membered furanose ring is O—C—C—C, involving the C atoms of the fused five‐membered oxazolidine ring, and the torsion angle is only −0.4 (2)°. The oxazolidine ring is essentially coplanar with the six‐membered uracil ring [r.m.s. deviation = 0.012 (5) Å and dihedral angle = −3.2 (3)°]. The conformation at the exocyclic C—C bond is gauche–trans which is stabilized by various C—H...π and C—O...π interactions.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel polyimides with 2,2‐bis[4(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalein‐3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)anilide

2,2‐Bis[4(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalein‐3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)anilide (6FADAP), containing fluorine and phthalimide moieties, was synthesized via the Williamson ether condensation reaction from 1‐chloro‐4‐nitrobenzene and phenolphthalein‐3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)anilide, which was followed by hydrogenation. Monomers such as 2,2‐bis[4(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalein‐anilide containing phthalimide groups and 2,2‐bis[4(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalein containing only phthalein moieties were also synthesized for comparison. The monomers were first characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR, elemental analysis, and titration and were then used to prepare polyimides with 2,2‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride. The polyimides were designed to have molecular weights of 20,000 g/mol via off‐stoichiometry and were characterized by FTIR, NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Their solubility, water absorption, dielectric constant, and refractive index were also evaluated. The polyimides prepared with 6FADAP, containing fluorine and phthalimide moieties, had excellent solubility in N‐methylpyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, tetrahydrofuran, CHCl₃, tetrachloroethane, and acetone, and GPC analysis showed a molecular weight of 18,700 g/mol. The polyimides also exhibited a high glass‐transition temperature (290 °C), good thermal stability (～500 °C in air), low water absorption (1.9 wt %), a low dielectric constant (2.81), a low refractive index, and low birefringence (0.0041). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3361–3374, 2003     

Synthesis and properties of novel polyimides derived from 2,2′,3,3′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride

A new synthetic route to 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA (where BTDA is benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride), an isomer of 2,3′,3′,4′‐BTDA and 3,3′,4,4′‐BTDA, is described. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis of 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA has shown that this dianhydride has a bent and noncoplanar structure. The polymerizations of 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA with 4,4′‐oxydianiline (ODA) and 4,4′‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene (TPEQ) have been investigated with a conventional two‐step process. A trend of cyclic oligomers forming in the reaction of 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA and ODA has been found and characterized with IR, NMR, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. Films based on 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA/TPEQ can only be obtained from corresponding polyimide (PI) solutions prepared by chemical imidization because those from their polyamic acids by thermal imidization are brittle. PIs from 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA have lower inherent viscosities and worse thermal and mechanical properties than the corresponding 2,3′,3′,4′‐BTDA‐ and 3,3′,4,4′‐BTDA‐based PIs. PIs from 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA and 2,3′,3′,4′‐BTDA are amorphous, whereas those from 3,3′,4,4′‐BTDA have some crystallinity, according to wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Furthermore, PIs from 2,2′,3,3′‐BTDA have better solubility, higher glass‐transition temperatures, and higher melt viscosity than those from 2,3′,3′,4′‐BTDA and 3,3′,4,4′‐BTDA. Model compounds have been prepared to explain the order of the glass‐transition temperatures found in the isomeric PI series. The isomer effects on the PI properties are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2130–2144, 2004     

New organo‐soluble aromatic polyimides based on 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromo‐2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride and aromatic diamines

New aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, having isopropylidene and bromo‐substituted arylene ether structure 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromo‐2,2‐bis[4‐(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride, was synthesized by the reaction of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile with 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromobisphenol A, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). The novel aromatic polyetherimides having inherent viscosities up to 1.04 dL g⁻¹ were obtained by either a one‐step or a conventional two‐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), pyridine, and even in less polar solvents like chloroform and tetrahydrofuran (THF). These aromatic polyimides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 256–303°C, depending on the nature of the diamine moiety. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that all polymers were stable, with 10% weight loss recorded above 470°C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1673–1680, 1999     

Flip‐type disorder in 3‐substituted 2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophenes

In the crystal structures of four thiophene derivatives, (E)‐3′‐[2‐(anthracen‐9‐yl)ethenyl]‐2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophene, C₂₈H₁₈S₃, (E)‐3′‐[2‐(1‐pyrenyl)ethenyl]‐2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophene, C₃₀H₁₈S₃, (E)‐3′‐[2‐(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl]‐2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophene, C₂₂H₁₈O₂S₃, and (E,E)‐1,4‐bis[2‐(2,2′:5′,2′′‐terthiophen‐3′‐yl)ethenyl]‐2,5‐dimethoxybenzene, C₃₆H₂₆O₂S₆, at least one of the terminal thiophene rings is disordered and the disorder is of the flip type. The terthiophene fragments are far from being coplanar, contrary to terthiophene itself. The central C—C=C—C fragments are almost planar but the bond lengths suggest slight delocalization within this fragment. The crystal packing is determined by van der Waals interactions and some weak, relatively short, C—H...S and C—H...π directional contacts.     

High solubility,low‐dielectric constant,and optical transparency of novel polyimides derived from 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl‐4″‐isopropyltoluene

A series of novel polyimides (PIs) ( 3a–d ) were prepared from 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethyl‐4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl‐4 ″ ‐isopropyltoluene ( 1 ) with four aromatic dianhydrides via a one‐step high temperature polycondensation procedure. The obtained PIs showed excellent solubility, with most of them dissoluble at a concentration of 10 wt % in amide polar solvents and chlorinated solvents. Their films were nearly colorless and exhibited high‐optical transparency, with the UV cutoff wavelength in the range of 328–353 nm and the transparency at 450 nm >80%. They also showed low‐dielectric constant (2.49–2.94 at 1 MHz) and low‐water absorptions (0.44–0.65%). Moreover, these PIs possessed high‐glass transition temperatures (T_g) beyond 327 °C and excellent thermal stability with 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 530–555 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. In comparison with some fluorinated poly(ether imide)s derived from the trifluoromethyl‐substituted bis(ether amine)s, the resultant PIs 3a–d showed better solubility, lower cutoff wavelength, and higher T_g. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3309–3317, 2009     

Possible structural effect of a′,b′‐dihydroxyacetophenone units in the preformed oligoesters upon copolycondensation with isomeric c′,d′‐dihydroxyacetophenones by TsCl/dimethylformamide/pyridine

A two‐stage copolycondensation of a mixture of equal parts of isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid first with a′,b′‐dihydroxyacetophenone (a′,b′‐DHAP) and then with isomeric c′,d′‐DHAP was examined at 60 and 80 °C. A structurally selective reaction was observed. At 80 °C, the preformed oligomers from symmetrically substituted 2′,6′‐DHAP reacted better with similarly substituted 2′,6′‐ or 3′,5′‐DHAP to give the copolymers of significantly higher inherent viscosity values than from the reaction with asymmetrically substituted 2′,4′‐DHAP, whereas at 60 °C they did almost equally well with any c′,d′‐DHAP. Similarly, the reaction of oligomers from 2′,4′‐DHAP with asymmetrically substituted 2′,4′‐DHAP or 2,4‐dihydroxybenzophenone yielded better results than those from the reaction with 2′,6′‐ or 3′,5′‐DHAP at both temperatures. The copolycondensations with comonomers of the structure independent of DHAPs were not affected by the preformed oligomers from DHAPs. The results are discussed in terms of the distributions of resulting oligomers determined by gel permeation chromatography. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 616–623, 2003     

Synthesis and properties of new aromatic poly‐(ether benzoxazole)s from 2,2′‐bis(4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenoxy)biphenyl and aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides

A new bis(o‐aminophenol) with a crank and twisted noncoplanar structure and ether linkages, 2,2′‐bis(4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenoxy)biphenyl, was synthesized by the reaction of 2‐benzyloxy‐4‐fluoronitrobenzene with biphenyl‐2,2′‐diol, followed by reduction. Biphenyl‐2,2′‐diyl‐containing aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s with inherent viscosities of 0.52–1.01 dL/g were obtained by a conventional two‐step procedure involving the polycondensation of the bis(o‐aminophenol) monomer with various aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides, yielding precursor poly(ether o‐hydroxyamide)s, and subsequent thermal cyclodehydration. These new aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s were soluble in methanesulfonic acid, and some of them dissolved in m‐cresol. The aromatic poly(ether benzoxazole)s had glass‐transition temperatures of 190–251 °C and were stable up to 380 °C in nitrogen, with 10% weight losses being recorded above 520 °C. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2656–2662, 2002     

A ter­phenyl halide series: 2,6‐Trip2­H3C6X (Trip = 2,4,6‐triiso­propyl­phenyl; X = Cl,Br, I)

The sterically encumbered ter­phenyl halides 2′‐chloro‐2,2′′,4,4′′,6,6′′‐hexaisopropyl‐1,1′:3′,1′′‐terphenyl, C₃₆H₄₉Cl, (I), 2′‐bromo‐2,2′′,4,4′′,6,6′′‐hexaisopropyl‐1,1′:3′,1′′‐terphenyl, C₃₆H₄₉Br, (II), and 2′‐iodo‐2,2′′,4,4′′,6,6′′‐hexaisopropyl‐1,1′:3′,1′′‐terphenyl, C₃₆H₄₉I, (III), crystallize in space group Pnma. They are isomorphous and isostructural with a plane of symmetry through the centre of the mol­ecule. The C–halide bond distances are 1.745 (3), 1.910 (4) and 2.102 (6) Å for (I)–(III), respectively.