Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Aromatic Polyimides from Bis(4-amino-2-biphenyl) ether and Aromatic Tetracarboxylic Dianhydrides

Aromatic polyimides having phenyl groups at the 2- and 2′-positions of the diphenyl ether moiety were synthesized from bis(4-amino-2-biphenyl) ether and various tetracarboxylic dianhydrides by the conventional two-step procedure using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent [Morikawa et al., Polymer Journal37, 759, 2005]. The phenyl groups at the 2,2′-position of the phenyl ether improved the solubility of polyimides without decreasing the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties. In this paper, soluble polyimides were synthesized in a one-step procedure by reacting this diamine with various tetracarboxylic dianhydrides in m-cresol at 190°C, and the properties, especially the thermal properties, thermo-mechanical properties and solubility were compared with those of the polyimides synthesized by the two-step procedure.