Heterocyclic Polyimides

This paper presents the synthesis of certain polyimides which contain one of the following heterocycles: oxadiazole, benzox-azinone, benzthiazole. Their properties, particularly thermal stability and hydrolytic stability, are compared to fully aromatic polyimides. Poly-1,3,4-oxadiazole-imides have been synthesized either by the reaction of ditetraeole monomers which contain preformed imide cycles with diacid chlorides, or by the reaction of an aromatic diamine containing a preformed oxadiazole ring with diacid chlorides containing preformed imide rings. Polybenz-oxazinone-imides have been synthesized by polycondensation of a bis(amino acid), 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid, with diacid chlorides containing preformed imide rings. Polybenzthiazole-imides have been obtained by polycondensation of aromatic diamines containing a preformed benzthiazole ring with diacid chlorides containing preformed imide rings. Thermal stabilities of these heterocyclic polyimides are similar and in certain cases are higher than those of fully aromatic polyimides. It was also found that the hydrolytic stability of heterocyclic polyimides is definitely superior to that of aromatic polyimides.