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     

Highly soluble and optically transparent poly (ether imide)s based on 2,6‐ or 2,7‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and aromatic bis(ether amine)s bearing trifluoromethyl groups

Two series of novel fluorinated poly(ether imide)s (coded IIIA and IIIB ) were prepared from 2,6‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and 2,7‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride, respectively, with various trifluoromethyl‐substituted aromatic bis(ether amine)s by a standard two‐step process with thermal or chemical imidization of the poly(amic acid) precursors. These fluorinated poly(ether imide)s showed good solubility in many organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These films were nearly colorless, with an ultraviolet–visible absorption edge of 364–386 nm. They also showed good thermal stability with glass‐transition temperatures of 221–298 °C, 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 489 °C, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen greater than 50%. The 2,7‐substituted IIIB series also showed better solubility and higher transparency than the isomeric 2,6‐substituted IIIA series. In comparison with nonfluorinated poly (ether imide)s, the fluorinated IIIA and IIIB series showed better solubility, higher transparency, and lower dielectric constants and water absorption. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5909–5922, 2006     

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     

Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyimides derived from 2′,5′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)‐p‐terphenyl dianhydride

A novel bis(ether anhydride) monomer, 2′,5′‐bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenoxy)‐p‐terphenyl dianhydride, was synthesized from the nitro displacement of 4‐nitrophthalonitrile by the phenoxide ion of 2′,5′‐dihydroxy‐p‐terphenyl, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and cyclodehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). A series of new poly(ether imide)s bearing laterally attached p‐terphenyl 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 or chemical imidization to the poly(ether imide)s. The inherent viscosities of the poly(amic acid) precursors were in the range of 0.62–1.26 dL/g. Most of the poly(ether imide)s obtained from both routes were soluble in polar organic solvents, such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide. All the poly(ether imide)s could afford transparent, flexible, and strong films with high tensile strengths. The glass‐transition temperatures of these poly(ether imide)s were recorded as between 214 and 276 °C by DSC. The softening temperatures of all the poly(ether imide) films stayed in the 207–265 °C range according to thermomechanical analysis. For all the polymers significant decomposition did not occur below 500 °C in nitrogen or air atmosphere. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1008–1017, 2004     

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     

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 properties of poly(ether imide)s derived from 2,6-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and aromatic diamines

A new naphthalene unit-containing bis(ether anhydride), 2,6-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride, was synthesized in three steps starting from the nucleophilic nitrodisplacement reaction of 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene and 4-nitrophthalonitrile in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of potassium carbonate, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). High-molar-mass aromatic poly(ether imide)s were prepared using a conventional two-step polymerization process from the bis(ether anhydride) and various aromatic diamines. The intermediate poly(ether amic acid)s had inherent viscosities of 0.65–2.03 dL/g. The films of poly(ether imide)s derived from two rigid diamines, i.e. p-phenylenediamine and benzidine, crystallized during the thermal imidization process. The other poly(ether imide)s belonged to amorphous materials and could be fabricated into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These aromatic poly(ether imide) films had yield strengths of 104–131 MPa, tensile strengths of 102–153 MPa, elongation to break of 8–87%, and initial moduli of 1.6–3.2 GPa. The glass transition temperatures (T_g's) of poly(ether imide)s were recorded in the range of 220–277°C depending on the nature of the diamine moiety. All polymers were stable up to 500°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded above 550°C in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1657–1665, 1998     

Poly(ether imide)s derived from phthalazinone‐containing dianhydrides

An unsymmetrical and noncoplanar heterocyclic dianhydride was synthesized from a bisphenol‐like phthalazinone, 4‐(4‐hydroxylphenyl)‐2,3‐phthalazin‐1‐one, and a series of novel poly(ether imide)s based on it, with intrinsic viscosities of 0.67–1.42 dL/g, were obtained by one‐step solution polymerization in m‐cresol at 200 °C for 20 h. The polymers were readily soluble in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone and m‐cresol. The poly(ether imide)s derived from 4,4′‐oxydianiline and 4,4′‐methylenedianiline were also very soluble in chloroform, 1,1′,2,2′‐tetrachloroethane, and N,N‐dimethylacetamide. The glass‐transition temperatures were 289–326 °C, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. All the degradation temperatures for 5% weight loss occurred above 482 °C in nitrogen. The tensile strength of thin films of some of the polymers varied from 103.1 to 121.4 MPa. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6089–6097, 2004     

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     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel polyimides derived from spirobichroman diether anhydride

A spirobichroman structure-containing diether anhydride (SBCDA), 6,6′-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)-4,4,4′,4′,7,7′-hexamethyl-2,2′-spirobichroman dianhydride, was prepared by the nucleophilic nitrodisplacement of 4-nitrophthalonitrile with the phenolate ion of 6,6′-dihydroxy-4,4,4′,4′,7,7′-hexamethyl-2,2′-spirobichroman, followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate tetranitrile and dehydration of the resulting tetraacid. A series of high molecular weight poly(ether imide)s with inherent viscosities between 0.45 and 1.28 dL/g were synthesized from SBCDA and various aromatic diamines via a conventional two-stage procedure that included ring-opening polyaddition in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to give poly(amic acid)s, followed by thermal cyclization to poly(ether imide)s. The intermediate poly(amic acid)s had inherent viscosities of 0.70–1.50 dL/g. Except for the poly(ether imide) obtained from p-phenylenediamine, the other poly(ether imide)s were soluble in various organic solvents and could be solution-cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These poly(ether imide)s had glass transition temperatures in the range 175–262°C and showed no significant decomposition below 420°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded above 446°C in nitrogen or air. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 2801–2809, 1997     

New poly(amide–imide)s syntheses. XXIII. Synthesis and properties of poly(amide–imide)s derived from 4,4′‐[1,4‐phenylenebis(isopropylidene‐1,4‐phenyleneoxy)]dianiline and various bis(trimellitimide)s

A series of poly(amide–imide)s III_a–m containing flexible isopropylidene and ether groups in the backbone were synthesized by the direct polycondensation of 4,4′‐[1,4‐phenylenebis(isopropylidene‐1,4‐phenyleneoxy)]dianiline (PIDA) with various bis(trimellitimide)s II_a–m in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. The resulting poly(amide–imide)s had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.80–1.36 dL/g. Except for those from the bis(trimellitimide)s of p‐phenylenediamine and benzidine, all the polymers could be cast from DMAc into transparent and tough films. They exhibited excellent solubility in polar solvents. The 10% weight loss temperatures of the polymers in air and in nitrogen were all above 495°C, and their T_g values were in the range of 201–252°C. Some properties of poly(amide–imide)s III were compared with those of the corresponding poly(amide–imide)s V prepared from the bis(trimellitimide) of diamine PIDA and various aromatic diamines. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 69–76, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ether naphthalimide)s

A series of new poly(ether imide)s containing the naphthalimide moiety were prepared from bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)naphthalimides and several bisphenols by aromatic nucleophilic displacement polymerization. These polyimides had inherent viscosities in the range of 0.31–1.04 dL/g in chloroform and glass transition temperatures of 283.0–341.6°C by differential scanning calorimetry. The onset temperature for 5% weight loss for all the polymers was over 448°C, as assessed by thermogravimetry at a heating rate 10°C/min in nitrogen. In addition, these novel polyimides exhibited good solubility in organic solvents including N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and chloroform. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3227–3231, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of phthalazinone containing poly(arylene ether)s via a novel N–C coupling reaction

High‐molecular‐weight poly(phthalazinone)s with very high glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) were synthesized via a novel N–C coupling reaction. New bisphthalazinone monomers ( 7a–e ) were synthesized from 2‐(4‐chlorobenzoyl) phthalic acid in two steps. Poly(phthalazinone)s, having inherent viscosities in the range of 0.34–0.91 dL/g, were prepared by the reaction of the bis(phthalazinone) monomers with an activated aryl halide in a dipolar aprotic solvent in the presence of potassium carbonate. The poly(phthalazinone)s exhibited T_g's greater than 230 °C. polymer 8b synthesized from diphenyl biphenol and bis(4‐flurophenyl) sulfone demonstrated the highest T_g of 297 °C. Thermal stabilities of the poly(phthalazinone)s were determined by thermogravimetric analysis. All the poly(phthalazinone)s showed a similar pattern of decomposition with no weight loss below 450 °C in nitrogen. The temperatures of 5% weight loss were observed to be about 500 °C. The poly(phthalazinone)s containing 4,4′‐isopropylidenediphenol and 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene) diphenol and diphenyl ether linkage were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform. Other poly‐(phthalazinone)s were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as N,N′‐dimethylacetamide. The soluble poly(phthalazinone)s can be cast as flexible films from solution. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2481–2490, 2003     

Some properties of polyvinyl acetate films cast from methanol,acetone and chloroform as solvent

Polyvinyl acetate was cast into films on a clean mercury surface from its solution in either methanol, acetone or chloroform. Some mechanical properties of the films, exposed at 20 °C and 65% r.h., and 45 and 60 °C in air ovens, were studied. They were found to be highly dependent on the solvent used for film casting and the time of exposure of film at each of the temperatures. The initial modulus, yield stress, tensile strength and work to rupture of the polymer films were greater for those cast from acetone than those cast from chloroform, and for all the films these properties increased with exposure time, with an induction period in some cases. The elongation at break decreased with exposure time from an initial value which was higher for the chloroform-cast than the acetone-cast films. Films cast from methanol were found to be too brittle for testing.The results are interpreted on the basis of interactions between the solvent molecules and those of the polymer. Of the three solvents, chloroform produced polyvinyl acetate films with the most constant mechanical properties over the longest period of exposure which depended on the temperature of exposure, decreasing as the temperature increased. Hence chloroform is recommended for casting films of polyvinyl acetate. Methanol is practically unsuitable while acetone could be used where chloroform is not available.     

Synthesis and properties of novel poly(arylene ether)s and poly(arylene thioether)s based on a pyridazine biphenol or a phthalazine biphenol

Novel sulfur‐containing biphenol monomers were prepared in high yields by the reaction of 4‐mercaptophenol with chloropyridazine or chlorophthalazine compounds. High‐molecular‐weight poly(arylene ether)s were synthesized by a nucleophilic substitution reaction between these sulfur‐containing monomers and activated difluoro aromatic compounds. The inherent viscosities of these polymers ranged from 0.34 to 0.93 dL/g. The poly(pyridazine)s exhibited glass‐transition temperatures greater than 165 °C. The poly(phthalazine)s showed higher glass‐transition temperatures than the poly(pyridazine)s. A polymer synthesized from a bisphthalazinebiphenol and bis(4‐fluorophenyl)sulfone had the highest glass‐transition temperature (240 °C). The thermal stabilities of the poly(pyridazine)s and poly(phthalazine)s showed similar patterns of decomposition, with no significant weight loss below 390 °C. The poly(phthalazine)s were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform, and the poly(pyridazine)s were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as N,N′‐dimethylacetamide. The soluble poly(pyridazine)s and poly(phthalazine)s could be cast into flexible films from solution. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 262–268, 2007     

Synthesis and Properties of New Fluorinated Polyimides Derived from an Unsymmetrical and Noncoplanar Diamine

A new unsymmetrical and noncoplanar diamine containing trifluoromethyl and trimethyl groups, 1,4‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)‐2,3,5‐trimethylbenzene ( 2 ), was synthesized using 2,3,5‐trimethylhydroquinone and 2‐chloro‐5‐nitrobenzotrifluoride as starting materials. A series of fluorinated poly(ether imide)s (PEIs) ( 4a–4d ) were prepared from diamine 2 with four aromatic dianhydrides via a one‐step high‐temperature polycondensation procedure. The obtained PEIs were readily soluble in most organic solvents and could be solution‐cast into flexible and strong films. The resulting thin films exhibited light color and good optical transparency with a cutoff wavelength of 356–376 nm. They also displayed good thermal stability with glass transition temperatures (T_g) above 281°C, 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 482–486°C, and the weight residue more than 55% at 800°C in nitrogen. Moreover, they revealed low dielectric constants (2.77–2.93 at 1 MHz) and low moisture absorptions (0.41%–0.57%).     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ether imide)s derived from 2,7-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride and various aromatic diamines

A naphthalene unit-containing bis(ether anhydride), 2,7-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)naphthalene dianhydride, was prepared in three steps starting from the nucleophilic nitrodisplacement reaction of 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene and 4-nitrophthalonitrile in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution in the presence of potassium carbonate followed by alkaline hydrolysis of the intermediate bis(ether dinitrile) and subsequent dehydration of the resulting bis(ether diacid). High-molar-mass aromatic poly(ether imide)s were synthesized using a conventional two-stage polymerization process from the bis(ether anhydride) and ten aromatic diamines. The intermediate poly(ether amic acid)s had inherent viscosities of 0.95–2.67 dL/g. The films of poly(ether imide)s derived from two rigid diamines, that is, p-phenylenediamine and benzidine, crystallized and embrittled during the thermal imidization process. The other poly(ether imide)s belonged to amorphous materials and could be fabricated into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These poly(ether imide) films had yield strengths of 91–115 MPa, tensile strengths of 89–136 MPa, elongation to break of 11–45%, and initial moduli of 1.7–2.2 GPa. The T_gs of poly(ether imide)s were recorded in the range of 222–256°C depending on the nature of the diamine moiety. All polymers were thermally stable up to 500°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded above 540°C in air and nitrogen atmospheres. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2281–2287, 1997     

New poly(amide–imide) syntheses. XXI. Synthesis and properties of aromatic poly(amide–imide)s based on 2,6-bis(4-trimellitimidophenoxy)naphthalene and aromatic diamines

A novel polymer-forming diimide–diacid, 2,6-bis(4-trimellitimidophenoxy)naphthalene, was prepared by the condensation reaction of 2,6-bis(4-aminophenoxy)naphthalene with trimellitic anhydride (TMA). A series of novel aromatic poly(amide–imide)s containing 2,6-bis(phenoxy)naphthalene units were prepared by the direct polycondensation of the diimide–diacid with various aromatic diamines using triphenyl phosphite (TPP) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/pyridine solution containing dissolved calcium chloride. Thirteen of the obtained polymers had inherent viscosities above 1.01 dL/g and up to 2.30 dL/g. Most of polymers were soluble in polar solvents such as DMAc and could be cast from their DMAc solutions into transparent, flexible, and tough films. These films had tensile strengths of 79–117 MPa, elongation-at-break of 7–61%, and initial moduli of 2.2–3.0 GPa. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction revealed that some polymers are partially crystalline. The glass transition temperatures of some polymers could be determined with the help of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces, which were recorded in the range 232–300°C. All the poly(amide–imide)s exhibited no appreciable decomposition below 450°C, and their 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the range 511–577°C in nitrogen and 497–601°C in air. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 919–927, 1998     

Synthesis and properties of conjugated fluoroalkyl ether-substituted polythiophenes prepared in organic solvent and supercritical carbon dioxide

A number of new fluoroalkyl ether-containing polythiophenes are synthesized via oxidative polymerization in supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) and chloroform. In both cases, high-molecular-mass polymers with high yields are prepared. The properties of the polymers synthesized in scCO₂, such as molecular mass, polydispersity, conjugation, and UV absorption, are similar to the properties of the polymers obtained in chloroform. All poly(fluoroalkyl ether thiophenes) show solubility in DMF, toluene, THF, chloroform, and acetone. The glass-transition temperatures of the polymers are in the range 58–82°C, and the temperatures corresponding to 10% loss in their weight are in the ranges 248–294 and 260–303°C for poly(fluoroalkyl ether thiophenes) synthesized in scCO₂ and chloroform, respectively. All polymers fluoresce in the blue region with emission maxima at 506 to 526 nm. Because of the unique combination of fluoroalkyl and carbonyl groups, poly(fluoroalkyl ether thiophenes) feature good solubility in scCO₂, which is a promising alternative solvent for the oxidative polymerization of fluoroalkyl ether thiophenes.     

Novel ortho‐linked fluorinated poly(ether‐imide)s based on 2,2′‐substituted 1,1′‐binaphthyl units

In this research, a new fluorinated diamine based on 2,2′‐substituted 1,1′‐binaphthyl units, 2,2′‐bis(2‐amino‐4‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)‐1,1′‐binaphthyl (AFPBN) was synthesized and then used to prepare the corresponding ortho‐linked poly(ether‐imide)s via chemical polyimidization with several aromatic carboxylic dianhydrides. The resulting poly(ether‐imide)s were fully characterized by FT‐IR, NMR, viscosity measurements, gel‐permeation chromatography, UV–vis, X‐ray diffraction, organo‐solubility, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry. Probing optical behavior of the colorless films prepared from these poly(ether‐imide)s demonstrated that they possess a high degree of optical transparency, and UV–visible absorption cut‐off wavelength values were found to be in the range of 404–471 nm. The resulting polymers exhibited excellent organo‐solubility in polar solvents such as dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, pyridine, and even tetrahydrofuran. To investigate the heat stability of the samples, their thermograms obtained from TGA were plotted, and for example, it is found that the 10% weight loss temperature of representative polymer AFPBN/3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride occurred at 532°C in nitrogen. These poly(ether‐imide)s had glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) up to 280°C. Two previously prepared analogues of AFPBN, i.e. nonfluorinated diamine DAM1 and para‐linked fluorinated diamine DAM2 used to prepare the corresponding poly(ether‐imide)s, were also considered to compare the results obtained. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.