Polyimides based on furanic diamines and aromatic dianhydrides: synthesis, characterization and properties

Novel polyimides containing furan moieties were prepared from the resulting furanic diamine monomers with various aromatic dianhydrides including 1,2,4,5-benzene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4'-oxydiphthalic anhydride, and hexafluoroisopropylidene 2,2-bis(phthalic anhydride), via a two-step process. The resulting polyimides were characterized by solubility tests, viscosity measurements, FTIR, H-1 NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis. The polyimides with inherent viscosities in the range of 0.048-0.095 L/g showed excellent solubility in aprotic amide and organic solvents, such as N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, dimethylformamide and acetone, chloroform, etc. DSC showed glass transition temperatures (T (g)) in the range of 116-143 A degrees C. These polymers showed excellent thermal stability up to 390 A degrees C.