Constitutionally isomeric alicyclic polyimides: Origin of siteselectivity in the reaction of unsymmetrical dianhydride and structure‐derived difference in physical properties

Two constitutionally isomeric alicyclic polyimides (PIs), head‐to‐head (HH) and random types, were successfully synthesized on the basis of a siteselective ring opening reaction of an unsymmetric spiroalicyclic dianhydride, rel‐[1R,5S,6R]‐3‐oxabicyclo[3,2,1]octane‐2,4‐dione‐6‐spiro‐3′‐(tetrahydrofuran‐2′,5′‐dione), with using several kinds of diamines only by changing reaction procedures. A model reaction study revealed that the origin of the siteselectivity in the reaction of the dianhydride was due to both the enhanced reactivity of six‐membered anhydride embedded in bicyclo[3.2.1] system and the reduced reactivity of five‐membered anhydride in the spiro[4.5] system. The HH‐PIs showed higher glass transition temperature and higher dielectric constant than those of random PIs. Specific gravity of the PI films showed that the differences in physical properties stem from different packing density of the two constitutionally isomeric PIs. This is the first example for constitutionally isomeric both amorphous polycondensates with different physical properties. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Preparation, structure and properties of porous polyimide films via PAA/PU alloy

A new route to porous polyimide (PI) films with pore sizes in the nanometer regime was developed. A polyamic acid (PAA)/polyurethane (PU) blend with PU as the disperse phase was first prepared via in situ polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4-oxydianiline in PU solutions. Porous PI films were obtained from PAA/PU films by thermolysis of PU at 360°C and imidization of PAA at 300°C, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to detect the imidization and thermolysis processes of PAA/PU blends under thermal treatment. The microporous structure of the PI films was observed by transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the size and content of pores increased with an increase in the PU mass fraction in the PAA/PU blend up to 20%. Because of the existence of nanopores, the dielectric constant of PI films decreased by a wide margin and was less than 2.0 at a PU mass fraction of 20%. It implies that this is an effective means to reduce the dielectric constant of PI, but it also causes the decrease of tensile strength and the rise of water absorption. Translated from Chemistry Journal of Chinese Universities 2006, 27(1): (in Chinese)     

Preparation of polyimide/BaTiO3‐nanocrystal hybrid thin films and their dielectric property

High dielectric constant is highly desirable in capacitors and memory devices. In this work, oleic acid (OA)‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals were synthesized by a two‐phase approach. Polyimide (PI)/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite thin films with high dielectric constant have been successfully fabricated. The morphologies and dielectric properties of the hybrid films were exploited. The results showed that BaTiO₃ nanocrystals can be uniformly dispersed in the PI thin films owing to the surface modification of OA‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals. It was found that the dielectric constant of composite film varies with the volume fraction of BaTiO₃ nanocrystals and sintering temperatures and reaches a maximum value of 44.1, which is around 13 times higher than that of pristine PI thin film (3.2). These results demonstrated that PI/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite films have considerable application potential in microelectronic fields.     

Synthesis and properties of ultralow dielectric porous polyimide films containing adamantane

A series of novel ultralow dielectric porous polyimide (PI) films containing adamantane groups was prepared via the thermolysis of polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomers mixed into PI matrix. Scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the porous PI films showed closed pores with an average diameter of 120 ± 10 nm. Good thermal properties with 5% weight loss temperature of 499 °C in air atmosphere and glass transition temperature in excess of 310 °C were shown for porous PI films. Notably, the ultralow dielectric constant of porous PI films with 1.85 at 1 MHz was obtained and revealed via broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The effects of the chemical structure of the PI matrix and PEG content on the decomposition behavior of PEG and the performance of porous films were investigated. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction results indicated that the PI matrix with large d‐spacing generated weaker interactions between the PEG and PI backbone than those of PI matrix with small d‐spacing. As a result, the PEG for the PI matrix with large d‐spacing was completely decomposed. As indicated by the broadband dielectric spectroscopy results, lower dielectric porous PI films were prepared when the PEG contents in the PI matrix increased from 0 to 20 wt %. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 549–559     

Preparation and characterization of polyimide/pure silica zeolite hybrid films

In this study, amino derivative of pure silica zeolite nanocrystal (A‐PSZN) was dispersed into polyimide (PI) matrix to prepare PI/A‐PSZN hybrid films, and their thermal and mechanical properties, as well as hydrophobicity, were characterized scientifically. The test results show that PI/A‐PSZN hybrid films possess higher glass transition temperature, higher thermal stability and lower in‐plane coefficient of thermal expansion than pristine PI. The mechanical property data suggest that the incorporation of A‐PSZN results in an increase in Young's modulus and tensile strength of the hybrid films, but as its content exceeds the critical value (maybe 5 wt%), its enhancement effect on the hybrid's strength and toughness gets weaker. Furthermore, liquid dripping imaging analysis results indicate that the film's hydrophobicity is clearly improved by the introduction of A‐PSZN. As compared with PSZN, A‐PSZN exhibits better effect on enhancing the overall performance of pristine PI films. A comparison with other studies suggests that PI/A‐PSZN is a hybrid film with superior comprehensive properties. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polyimide/polyoxometalate copolymer thin films: synthesis,thermal and dielectric properties

A mono‐lancunary keggin‐type decatungstosilicate (SiW₁₁) polyoxometalate (POM) modified by γ‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) was incorporated into polyimide (PI) through copolymerization. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transition infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) were used to characterize the structure and composition of the polyoxometalate–organosilane hybrid (SiW₁₁KH550) and PI/SiW₁₁KH550 copolymers. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies indicate that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of PI/SiW₁₁KH550 copolymers increases from 330°C (for neat PI) to 409°C (for the copolymer sample with 10 wt% of SiW₁₁KH550). Dielectric measurement showed that both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss for the copolymer thin films decreased with the increase in SiW₁₁KH550 content, and the dielectric constant and dielectric loss values decreased to 2.1 and 3.54 × 10^?3, respectively, for the copolymer sample with 10 wt% of SiW₁₁KH550. The incorporation of SiW₁₁KH550 into polymer matrices is a promising approach to prepare PI films with a low dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructure and properties of organosoluble polyimide/silica hybrid films

Organosoluble polyimide/silica hybrid materials were prepared via the sol-gel process and their pervaporation properties were studied. The organosoluble polyimide (PI) was based on 4,4′-oxydiphthlic dianhydride (ODPA) and 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dimethyldiphenylmethane (DMMDA). The surface chemical structure of polyimide/silica films was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the results show that the completely hydrolysis of alkoxy groups of precursors and formation of the three-dimensional Si-O-Si network in the hybrid films. The morphology and the silica domain thus obtained were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The silica particle size in the hybrid is in the range of 40-100 nm for the hybrid films when the amount of silica is less than 20 wt%. The strength and the modulus of the hybrid films are improved and the mechanical properties were found to be strongly dependent on the density of the crosslink. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the hybrid films was determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and the value increased 15-20 °C as the silica content increased. Furthermore, the pervaporation performances of the prepared hybrid films were also investigated for the ethanol/water mixtures at different temperature.     

Microstructure and properties of 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)‐p‐phenylene diamine (PDA) polyimide/poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) hybrid nanocomposite films

Hybrid nanocomposite films of poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) (PVSSQ) and polyimide (PI) (PI/PVSSQ) were prepared via sol‐gel process from triethoxyvinylsilane (VSSQ) and thermal imidization from 3,3′,4,4′‐biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)‐p‐phenylene diamine (PDA) polyamic acid (BPDA‐PDA PAA). We investigated the microstructure; interfacial interaction; and optical, thermal, dielectric, and mechanical properties of the hybrid films. The phase morphologies and degree of surface roughness were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. It was found that the surface topography was influenced by the composition of PVSSQ. Hydrogen bonding interactions between polyimide (PI) matrix and PVSSQ domains were proved with FT‐IR spectroscopy. The transparency of the hybrid films was found to be dependent on the PVSSQ content. Incorporating of the PVSSQ in the hybrid composites increased the glass transition temperature of PI. Dielectric constants of the hybrid films were in the range of 2.37–3.59. Properties of the PI films were also significantly enhanced by adding 5–30 wt % of PVSSQ. For comparison, we also prepared the hybrid composites of PI and mixtures of VSSQ and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and the PI/silica hybrid composite containing 30 wt % of silica obtained from TEOS. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5189–5199, 2004     

Enhancement of properties of polyimide/silica hybrid nanocomposites by benzimidazole formed hydrogen bond

Polyimide/silica hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by sol–gel method without coupling agent. A novel diamine with a benzimidazole group, 2‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐5‐aminobenzimidazole (PABZ), was introduced to copolymerize with 4,4'‐oxydianiline (ODA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to synthesize polyimide (PI) matrix. The compatibility between PI and silica was improved by hydrogen bonds formed between silica phase and the –NH– group on benzimidazole of the new diamine. Highly transparent hybrid films were obtained when silica content reached as high as 30 wt%. SEM results show that silica particles with sizes much smaller than that in PMDA‐ODA/silica system disperse homogeneously in the PI matrix. Differing from most hybrid systems without coupling agent, the tensile strength of PABZ system increases from 152 MPa to 165 MPa with silica content increasing from 0 to 20 wt%, while, it decreases linearly in PMDA‐ODA system. DMA analysis shows that the introduction of PABZ largely increases the glass transition temperature (Tg) for all silica contents, which is suggested to be due to the more rigid structures and stronger interaction between the two phases. Meanwhile, the decomposition temperature and char yields at 800 °C are both higher than that of pure PIs. The structures of the hybrid films were identified by FTIR spectra, which indicate that different silica morphologies are developed, resulted from the hydrogen bonds between benzimidazole and silica phase. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phthalonitrile‐containing aromatic polyimide thin films with nano‐actuation properties

Polymer films of some polyimides containing pendant phthalonitrile groups were prepared by casting the corresponding poly(amic acid) solutions onto glass plates, followed by thermal imidization under controlled temperature conditions. The poly(amic acid)s were synthesized by polycondensation reaction of 4,4′‐diamino‐4″‐(3,4‐dicyanophenoxy)triphenylmethane, 1, or of different amounts of 1 and 4,4′‐bis(4‐aminophenoxybiphenyl), with two aromatic dianhydrides, 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride or benzophenone‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride. Most of the films were flexible and tough and exhibited high thermal stability, having the initial decomposition temperature above 400 °C. Dynamic mechanical analysis and dielectric spectroscopy revealed the influence of phthalonitrile group content on the relaxation processes of polyimides. The values of the dielectric constant at 10 kHz and 20 °C were in the range of 3.25–3.61. The films exhibited nano‐actuation in the range of 240–480 nm, depending on the phthalonitrile group content, when an electric voltage was applied on their surface. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photo‐aligning of polyimide layers for liquid crystals

A series of soluble and highly transparent semi‐alicyclic polyimides (PIs) with designed flexible linkages have been synthesized derived from an alicyclic aromatic dianhydride (1,2,3,4‐cyclobutanetetracarboxylic dianhydride, CBDA) and various aromatic ether‐bridged diamines. The semi‐alicyclic PIs were evaluated as the photo‐alignment layers of liquid crystal (LC) molecules in liquid crystal display (LCD). Experimental results indicate that the photo‐alignment characteristics of LC molecules induced by the photo‐aligned PI layers and the electro‐optical (EO) properties of the LC cell devices are closely related with PI backbone structures. The retardation of the photo‐aligned PI layers is correlated with the ultraviolet (UV) absorption intensity of PI at 220 to approximately 330 nm. The higher UV absorption intensity PI has, the higher retardation and lower pre‐tilt angle the photo‐aligned PI layer exhibits. The defect‐free and photo‐aligned PI layer could result into the uniform LC texture, which is highly desired for in‐plane switching (IPS) mode LCD devices. In comparison, PI layer containing trifluoromethyl moiety shows poor photo‐aligning performance because of the strong electronic withdrawing effect of the fluorinated linkage.     

掺杂稀土配合物的无机/高分子纳米杂化薄膜的 制备与发光性能

通过在溶胶-凝胶过程中引入高分子组分,并将稀土配合物掺杂其中的方法得到了具有良好发光性能的无机/高分子杂化薄膜,它们有很好的韧性和透明性,测定了薄膜的荧光光谱和荧光寿命,发现它们均发射出稀土离子的特征荧光且寿命比本体配合物增长。透射电镜的观察表明配合物在SiO~2/高分子互穿网络中分布较均匀,分散尺度在20～30nm之间。     

Enhanced interaction in the polyimide/sepiolite hybrid films via acid activating and polydopamine coating of sepiolite

We aimed at enhancing interaction in the polyimide/sepiolite hybrid films with the loading of sepiolite in the polyimide matrix ranged from 0 to 8 wt% via acid activating and polydopamine doping. First, sepiolite was treated with a 3M HCl solution under reflux conditions. Then the acid‐activated sepiolite was coated by mussel‐inspired polydopamine under alkaline conditions. The coated polydopamine was found to successfully enhance dispersibility of sepiolite in the polyimide matrix. The modification of the sepiolite in the hybrid films was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that polydopamine coating could increase interaction between the polyimide matrix and sepiolite.     

Thermal,mechanical, and morphological properties of phenolic resin/silica hybrid ceramers

Phenolic resin/silica hybrid ceramers were prepared through sol–gel technology. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis methods were utilized to study the thermal properties of the fabricated hybrid ceramers. The results showed that the heat resistance of the ceramers was slightly higher than that of the phenolic resin. The hydrogen bonding occurring inside the hybrid ceramers was investigated by Fourier transform infrared. The results showed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the phenolic resin and the silica was stronger than the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the phenolic resin molecules themselves. Furthermore, the hybrid ceramers were utilized to fabricate carbon‐fiber‐reinforced composites. The fabricated ceramer composites possessed better flexural strength and flexural modulus than that fabricated from neat phenolic resin. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1699–1706, 2000     

Polymerization,structure and thermal properties of ODPA-DMB polyimide films

A new high molecular weight polyimide based on 4,4-oxidiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) dianhydride and 2,2-dimethyl-4,4-diaminobiphenyl (DMB) diamine has been synthesizedvia a one-step polymerization method. This polyimide is soluble in phenolic solvents. Films from 7 to 30 m thick were cast from the polymer solution and show in-plane orientation on a molecular scale detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments. This anisotropic structure leads to anisotropic optical properties arising from two different refractive indices along the inplane and out-of-plane directions. ODPA DMB possesses high thermal and thermo-oxidative stability. The glass transition temperature has been determined to be 298 °C. Dynamic mechanical analyses show two relaxation processes appearing above room temperature: the - and the -relaxation processes. The -relaxation corresponds to the glass transition while the -relaxation is a secondary relaxation process associated with the non-cooperative subsegmental motion.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayYHK acknowledges the support from the Yonam Foundation, Korea. This work was also supported by the Center of Molecular and Microstructure of Composites (CMMC) of NSF/EPIC/Industry, SZDC gratefully acknowledges the support from his PYI Award (DMR-9157738) from the National Science Foundation.     

Structure and properties of a photosensitive polyimide: Effect of photosensitive group

The photosensitive poly(p-phenylene biphenylteracarboximide) (BPDA-PDA) precursor was synthesized by attaching photocross-linkable 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEM) monomer to its poly(amic acid) through acid/base complexation. The polyimide thin films were prepared by a conventional cast/softbake/thermal imidization process from the photosensitive precursors with various concentrations of DMAEM. The structure and properties of the polyimide films were investigated by small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering, refractive indices and birefringence analysis, residual stress and relaxation analysis, stress-strain analysis, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. In comparison with the polyimide film from the poly(amic acid), the films, which were imidized from the photosensitive precursors, exhibited a better molecular order and microstructure; however, they exhibited less molecular orientation in the film plane. Despite the enhancement in both the molecular order and microstructure, the film properties (i.e., mechanical properties, thermal expansion, residual stress, optical properties, dielectric constant, and water sorption) degraded overall due to both the decrease in molecular in-plane orientation and the formation of microvoids caused by the bulky photosensitive group during thermal imidization. That is, on one hand, the PSPI precursor formation provides an advantageous, direct patternability to the BPDA-PDA precursor, and on the other hand, it results in degraded properties to the resulting polyimide film. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of lithium insertion and deinsertion into V2O5 thin films: Optical,structural, and absorption properties

The lithiated/delithiated vanadium pentoxide films deposited by sol‐gel spin coating on indium tin oxide–coated glass substrates were analyzed by sputter‐induced photon spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and optical absorption techniques. First, it is shown that the crystalline structure of V₂O₅ after intercalation remains practically unchanged. Particularly, in the optical spectra during 5 keV Kr⁺ ion bombardment of clean, intercalated, and deintercalated V₂O₅ films, a series of sharp lines and unexpected continuum radiation were observed and well explained. It is also demonstrated that the intercalation and deintercalation of lithium have strong influences on various characteristics of pentoxide vanadium. The interpretations of the obtained results in the 3 experiments—X‐ray diffraction, sputter‐induced photon spectroscopy, and optical absorption techniques—are coherent and complement each other.     

Organic–inorganic bonding in chitosan–silica hybrid networks: Physical properties

Novel biomaterials are needed for bone tissue repair with improved mechanical performance compared to classical bioceramics. The objective of this work was to characterize a hybrid filler material, which is capable to coat as a thin film porous scaffolds improving their mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering. The hybrid filler material is a blend of chitosan and silica network formed through in situ sol–gel using tetraethylortosilicate and 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as silica precursors. The hypothesis was that the epoxy ring of GPTMS could react with the amino groups of chitosan in acidic media while it is also reacting the siloxane groups of hydrolyzed silica precursors. The formation of the hybrid organic–inorganic network was assessed by different physical techniques revealing changes in molecular mobility and hydrophilicity upon chemical reaction. Finally, the cytotoxicity of the samples was also evaluated by MTT assay. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1391–1400     

UV‐Irradiation Cured Organic‐inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposite Initiated by Ethoxysilane‐modified Multifunctional Polymeric Photoinitiator through Sol‐gel Process

The UV‐cured organic‐inorganic hybrid nanocomposite (nano‐Si‐m‐PI) was prepared through the photopolymerization of acrylic resin initiated by ethoxysilane‐modified multifunctional oligomeric photoinitiator (Si‐m‐PI). The esterification reaction of 2‐hydroxy‐4′‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)‐2‐methylpropiophenone (Irgacure 2959) with thioglycolic acid, and the following addition reactions with dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate and then 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane were carried out for preparing the Si‐m‐PI. The Si‐m‐PI exhibits the similar UV absorption and molar extinction coefficient with Irgacure 2959. The photoinitiating activity study by photo‐DSC analysis showed that the Si‐m‐PI possesses high photopolymerization rate at the peak maximum (R_p^max) and final unsaturation conversion (P^f) in the cured hybrid films. From the scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, the SiO₂ nanoparticles dispersed uniformly in the formed nano‐Si‐m‐PI, whereas the aggregation of nanoparticals occurred in nano‐Irg, which was prepared through the photopolymerization of acrylic resin initiated by Irgacure 2959. Moreover, compared with the UV‐cured pure polymer and nano‐Irg, the nano‐Si‐m‐PI showed remarkably enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties.