SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGHLY SOLUBLE AROMATIC POLYIMIDES

• Published in: Chinese journal of polymer science 2011-07, Vol.29 (4), p.506-512
• Main Authors: Huang, Xiao-hua, Huang, Wei, Zhou, Yong-feng, Yan, De-yue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Polymer Sciences; 凝胶渗透色谱; 动态力学分析; 合成; 有机溶剂; 溶解性; 玻璃化转变温度; 芳香聚酰亚胺; 表征
• ISSN: 0256-7679; 1439-6203
• DOI: 10.1007/s10118-011-1058-2

Two highly soluble aromatic polyimides were synthesized successfully from a diamine with two tert-butyl groups （MBTBA） and dianhydrides with a thioether or sulfone moiety （DTDA and DSDA）. Both of them showed excellent solubility in common solvents such as chloroform, tetrahydrofuran and dioxane at the room temperature. The numberaverage molecular weight was 6.0× 10^4 and 8.3 ×10^4 according to gel permeation chromatography relative to a polystyrene standard, and the polydispersity index was 1.80 and 1.82 respectively. The glass-transition temperatures of them were 286℃ and 314℃ （or 315℃ and 358℃） respectively, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry （or dynamic mechanical analysis）. The 5% weight loss temperature of both was near 490℃ in N2 by therrnogravimetric analysis. These results indicated that the tert-butyl pendent groups reduced the interactions among polymer chains and the thioether or sulfone moiety was flexible which may improve their solubility in conventional organic solvents without the loss of thermal stability. Transparent and flexible films of the two polyimides were obtained via solution casting. The MBTBA-DTDA membrane had higher storage moduli than those of the MBTBA-DSDA membrane.