Novel poly(fluorinated imide)s containing naphthalene pendant group: synthesis and characterization

A new fluorinated diamine monomer containing naphthalene pendant group, bis(4-amino-3,5-difluorophenyl)naphthylmethane (monomer 1), was synthesized from 1-naphthaldehyde and 2,6-difluoroaniline with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid at reflux. The novel poly(fluorinated imide)s (PFIs) were prepared via one-step polycondensation by monomer 1 and three aromatic dianhydrides including 4,4′-oxydiphthalic dianhydride, 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride, and 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride in m-cresol, respectively. The obtained PFIs could be dissolved in a variety of organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, N,N-dimetahylacetamide (DMAC), N,N-dimethylformamide, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran at room temperature. The highest solubility of PFIs could even reach to 250 mg/mL in chloroform. The PFIs could be easily processed into flexible and tough films by casting onto glass from DMAC solution. The PFI films had a tensile strength, elongation at break, and tensile modulus in the range of 84–102 MPa, 8.7–12.8%, and 2.2–2.8 GPa, respectively. These polymers also showed excellent thermal stability with glass transition temperatures in the range of 326–352 °C, 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 538–574 °C, and the weight residue more than 57% at 800 °C in nitrogen. Moreover, as for the optical properties, these PFIs exhibited a strong optical absorption in the ultraviolet region (290–370 nm) and photoluminescence in dilute chloroform solution or solid state.