Improved solubilization of pyromellitic dianhydride and 4,4′-oxydianiline in ionic liquid by the addition of zwitterion and their polycondensation

Three different ionic liquids were prepared and examined as solvents for polyimide synthesis. The solubility of 4,4′-oxydianiline and pyromellitic dianhydride as starting materials in ionic liquids was first evaluated, and then their polycondensation was carried out. Although these starting materials were hardly soluble in 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide (3), addition of imidazolium type zwitterion, 1-(1-butyl-3-imidazolio)butane-4-sulfonate (ZI), certainly improved their solubility. When 3 containing 40 mol % ZI was used, nothing was phase separated from this mixed solution containing both starting materials after cooling down to room temperature. After preparing prepolymer in 3 containing 40 mol % of ZI at room temperature, polycondensation was carried out in the same solution at 100, 200, and then 300 °C for every 1 h to obtain polyimide. An inherent viscosity of the obtained polyimide (0.05 g in 10 ml concentrated sulfuric acid) was 1.3 dL g⁻¹, higher than that prepared in only 3 (0.9 dL g⁻¹). The higher average molecular weight of the polyimide was attributed to the improved solubility of the starting materials by the addition of ZI that enabled the preparation of the prepolymer, poly(amide acid), without heating before imidation.