Gloss and degradation of hydroxyl polyacrylic resin/hexamethylene‐1,6‐diisocyanate coatings under ultraviolet and natural‐exposure aging

Reactive coatings of hydroxyl polyacrylic resin (HPAR) with hexamethylene‐1,6‐diisocyanate were carried out under accelerated 313‐nm ultraviolet (UV) aging for 2000 h and under natural exposure in Lhasa, Tibet, for 24 months. With UV irradiation and exposure time, the gloss changes in coatings with HPAR containing 3.0% or less hydroxyl groups decreased exponentially, whereas the gloss decay of coatings with HPAR containing over 4.5% hydroxyl groups decreased linearly. During 254‐nm UV aging, the gloss changes in coatings with HPAR containing 1.4% or less hydroxyl groups decreased as a Gaussian function. The weather resistance of a coating was correlated to the HPAR, UV irradiation, temperature, and humidity. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that there were degradation reactions and that some substance was lost in the matrix polymer during accelerated UV aging; then, uneven surfaces appeared and caused decreased gloss. Accelerated UV aging was faster than natural‐exposure aging, and the aging velocity of 254‐nm UV was 3–5 times faster than that of 313‐nm UV. Through the changes in the gloss, the aging tolerance of a coating could be monitored, and its aging resistance could also be predicted. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results showed that the coatings had good properties. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1271–1278, 2007     

Using aluminium triflate as a co‐catalyst for the polymerization of o‐phenylenediamine and its derivatives

Aromatic diamine monomers, including o‐phenylenediamine (oPD), 4‐methyl‐o‐phenylenediamine (4Me‐oPD), 4,5‐dimethyl‐o‐phenylenediamine (dMe‐oPD) and 4‐(tert‐butyl)‐o‐phenylenediamine (tBu‐oPD), were polymerized by chemical oxidation using ammonium persulfate as an oxidant. Aluminium triflate (Al(OTf)₃) was also used for the first time as a co‐catalyst under various reaction conditions for the polymerization of oPD derivatives. The polymerization yield was improved when Al(OTf)₃ was introduced to the polymerization reaction for most polymers. The solubility of poly(4‐methyl‐o‐phenylenediamine) (P(4Me‐oPD)), poly(4,5‐dimethyl‐o‐phenylenediamine) (P(dMe‐oPD)) and poly(4‐(tert‐butyl)‐o‐phenylenediamine) (P(tBu‐oPD)) polymers was improved compared with the poly(o‐phenylenediamine) (P(oPD)) polymers in most common solvents. The homopolymers obtained were characterized by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, UV?visible spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, DSC and TGA. The results showed that the yield, solubility and structure of the polymers are significantly dependent on the polymerization conditions. DSC measurements indicated that the polymers exhibited melting and crystallization transitions. The polymers also showed good thermal stability and decompose above 400 °C in nitrogen. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chitosan and N‐carboxymethylchitosan: I. The role of N‐carboxymethylation of chitosan in the thermal stability and dynamic mechanical properties of its films

Chitosan (degree of deacetylation of 90.2%) and N‐carboxymethylchitosan (N‐CMCh) (degree of substitution of 18.5%) were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis in order to determine their thermal stability. Also, their films were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mechanical and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Both polymers showed a thermal degradation peak at T_m ～ 250 °C, with T_onset and weight loss of 175 °C and 62% and 190 °C and 35% for chitosan and N‐CMCh, respectively. N‐CMCh showed a second thermal degradation peak at T_m = 600 °C, with an additional weight loss of 25%. Kinetic thermal analysis showed a slower process of degradation at 100 °C for N‐CMCh compared with chitosan, and an activation energy 13 times higher for the former, confirming the higher stability of N‐CMCh. Analysis of chitosan and N‐CMCh films showed that the latter support a high tension, with lower elasticity, and, as revealed by DMA, N‐CMCh has a more compact film structure, with a crossing arrangement of N‐CMCh fibers, as compared with the chitosan films which were determined from SEM analysis to have fibers in one direction only. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and electrical properties of copolymers of o‐phenylenediamine with aniline, 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene and 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoroaniline

Copolymers (P(PDA/Ar)) of o‐phenylenediamine with aniline (Ar = ANi), 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (Ar = EDOT) and 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoroaniline (Ar = TFANi) were synthesized via polycondensation initiated by ammonium persulfate. The NH₂ group content in the copolymers was determined by analyzing the ¹H NMR spectra of the N‐acetylated copolymers. Copolymers crosslinked by viologen (1,1'‐disubstituted 4,4'‐bipyridinium dichloride) were obtained by reaction involving the reactive NH₂ groups in the copolymers. The absorption wavelengths of solutions of the copolymers and the electrochemical oxidation and reduction potentials of cast films of the copolymers were affected by the electrical properties of the Ar unit. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,characterization, and evaluation of natural rubber‐graft‐N‐(4‐aminodiphenyl methane) acrylamide as an antioxidant

The synthesis of N‐(4‐aminodiphenylmethane) acrylamide (ADPMA) was performed through the reaction of 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane and acryloyl chloride in the presence of triethyl amine. The grafting of ADPMA onto natural rubber was executed with UV radiation. Benzoyl peroxide was used to initiate the free‐radical grafting copolymerization. Natural rubber‐graft‐N‐(4‐aminodiphenyl methane) acrylamide (NR‐g‐ADPMA) was characterized with an IR technique. We studied the effect of aging on the mechanical properties and the swelling and extraction phenomena for acrylonitrile–butadiene copolymer (NBR) vulcanizates, which contained the prepared NR‐g‐ADPMA and a commercial antioxidant, N‐isopropyl‐N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine. The prepared antioxidant enhanced both the mechanical properties of the NBR vulcanizates and the permanence of the ingredients in these vulcanizates. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 843–849, 2006     

Design of robust and photoluminescence‐responsive materials based on poly(methacrylic acid‐co‐m‐phenylenediamine) with graphene oxide composite hydrogels and its adsorption

A promising strategy to design crosslinked photoluminescent hydrogel (PL hydrogel) is to synthesize the covalently bonded polymer chains by thermal polymerization. A proper ratio of methacrylic acid and m‐phenylenediamine was used to prepare the PL hydrogel, and doping with graphene oxide and carboxymethyl chitosan improves the structure of the gel. The green and efficient hydrothermal synthesis realized a high polymerization and a short reaction time. Meanwhile, a series of properties were investigated for several combinations of hydrogels. Ultraviolet spectra, fluorescence spectra, and particle size distributions were used to characterize the PL composites. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, rheological studies, and stress–strain tests were conducted to characterize the morphology, structure, and performance of the compound hydrogel. The adsorption properties of the PL hydrogel were characterized in adsorption tests. The results indicated that the PL hydrogel exhibited a favorable luminescence property, a certain degree of mechanical strength, and good adsorption performance. The prepared PL hydrogel has potential applications in adsorption and visual detection. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46354.     

Bis[4‐(4‐maleimidephen‐oxy)phenyl]propane/N,N‐4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethyene blend modified with diallyl bisphenol A

In this article, 2,2′‐bis[4‐(4‐maleimidephen‐oxy)phenyl)]propane (BMPP) resin and N,N‐4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethyene (BDM) resin blends were modified by diallyl bisphenol A (DABPA). The effects of the mole concentration of BMPP on mechanical properties, fracture toughness, and heat resistance of the modified resins were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructure of the fractured modified resins. The introduction of BMPP resin improves the fracture toughness and impact strength of the cured resins, whose thermal stabilities are hardly affected. Dynamic mechanical analysis shows that the modified resins can maintain good mechanical properties at 270.0°C, and their glass transition temperatures (T_g) are above 280.0°C. When the mole ratio of BDM : BMPP is 2 : 1(Code 3), the cured resin performs excellent thermal stability and mechanical property. Its T_g is 298°C, and the Charpy impact strength is 20.46 KJ/m². The plane strain critical stress intensity factor (K_IC) is 1.21 MPa·m^0.5 and the plane strain critical strain energy release rate (G_IC) is 295.64 J/m². Compared with that of BDM/DABPA system, the K_IC and G_IC values of Code 3 are improved by 34.07% and 68.10%, respectively, which show that the modified resin presented good fracture toughness. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40395.     

Upgrading of acrylonitrile–butadiene copolymer properties using natural rubber–graft–N‐(4‐aminodiphenylether) acrylamide

The grafting of ADPEA onto natural rubber was executed with UV radiation. Benzoyl peroxide was used to initiate the free‐radical grafting copolymerization. Natural rubber‐graft‐N‐(4‐aminodiphenylether) acrylamide (NR‐g‐ADPEA) was characterized with an IR technique. The ultrasonic velocities of both longitudinal and shear waves were measured in thermoplastic discs of NBR vulcanizates as a function of aging time. Ultrasonic velocity measurements were taken at 2 MHz ultrasonic frequency using the pulse echo method. We studied the effect of aging on the mechanical properties and the swelling and extraction phenomena for acrylonitrile–butadiene copolymer (NBR) vulcanizates, which contained the prepared NR‐g‐ADPEA and a commercial antioxidant, N‐isopropyl‐N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine. The prepared antioxidant enhanced both the mechanical properties of the NBR vulcanizates and the permanence of the ingredients in these vulcanizates. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Polycondensation between p‐dibromobenzene and m‐dibromobenzene

NiCl₂ (bpy)‐catalyzed polycondensation between p‐dibromobenzene and m‐dibromobenzene was carried out under various conditions. With the polycondensation, a series of copolymers with number‐average molecular weights of 2400 (by gel permeation chromatography with polystyrene standards) was formed, and some samples had good solubility in organic solvents. The IR spectra and the ultraviolet spectra measured in a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution of the copolymer showed that there were p‐phenylene and m‐phenylene units in the copolymer. According to analyses with differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐rays, with an increasing molar ratio of m‐phenyl units in the copolymer, the glass‐transition temperature, the temperature of viscous flow, and the crystallizability of the polyphenylene copolymer decreased. The fluorescence spectra of the copolymer measured in a THF solution showed an emission maximum at 373–376 nm, whereas the maximum shifted to 436.6 nm for the film. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2210–2215, 2003     

Synthesis and optical and thermal properties of poly[methyl(2,9‐diphenyl‐ 7,8‐benzophenanthryl)silylene‐co‐1,4‐bis(methylphenylsilyl)phenylene]

Poly[methyl(2,9‐diphenyl‐7,8‐benzophenanthryl)silylene‐co‐1,4‐bis(methylphenylsilyl)phenylene] (PMBS‐co‐BSP) was synthesized by the condensation reaction of dichloromethyl(2,9‐diphenyl‐7,8‐benzophenanthryl)silane and 1,4‐bis(chloromethylphenylsilyl)benzene with sodium in toluene. Optical and thermal behavior of the polymer was investigated. Because of the introduction of substituted benzophenanthryl groups into the Si atoms of the polymer, the UV absorption wavelength of the PMBS‐co‐BSP red‐shifted significantly in the UV region, and a strong photoluminescence band was observed in the visible region other than the near‐UV photoluminescence typical of normal polysilane. The photochemical behavior was examined both in solution and in thin film by fluorescence and UV spectroscopy. Irradiation of the PMBS‐co‐BSP with a low‐pressure mercury lamp in solution resulted in homolytic scission of silicone–silicone bonds; the fluorescence emission intensities decreased gradually with increasing UV irradiation time and the maximum emission wavelength blue‐shifted significantly. Irradiation of thin solid films of the PMBS‐co‐BSP in air led to the formation of photoproducts containing Si? OH and Si? O? Si groups. The PMBS‐co‐BSP began to weigh less at about 300 °C and the weight loss of the polymer at 700 °C was calculated to be 75% of the initial weight in N₂. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of novel soluble and high Tg poly(ether imide)s from diamine containing 4,5‐diazafluorene and trifluoromethyl units

The synthesis and properties of soluble, high T_g and transparent aromatic polyimides containing 4,5‐diazafluorene and trifluoromethyl units in the polymer backbone on the basis of a novel diamine monomer, 9,9‐di[4‐(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethyl phenoxy)phenylene]‐4,5‐diazafluorene, are described. Incorporation of 4,5‐diazafluorene and trifluoromethyl groups into rigid polyimides improves their solubility and transparency without decreasing their physical properties. All of the thermal imidization polyimides are soluble at room temperature in aprotic and protic polar solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide, N,N′‐dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, pyridine and m‐cresol and can be solution cast into transparent, flexible and tough films. These films have a UV–visible absorption cutoff wavelength at 386–407 nm and light transparencies of 73%–84% at a wavelength of 550 nm. In addition, the polymers exhibit high thermal stability with a glass transition temperature (T_g) of 305 to 362 °C and 5% weight loss at temperatures ranging from 525 to 543 °C in nitrogen and from 521 to 538 °C in air. The polyimide films possess tensile strengths in the range 79 ? 113 MPa, a tensile modulus of 1.75 – 2.10 GPa and elongations at break of 7% ? 16%. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation and properties of polyimides based on bis[3,5‐dimethyl‐4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]methane

A series of polyimide (PI) thin films were synthesized based on bis[3,5‐dimethyl‐4‐(4‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]methane and conventional aromatic dianhydrides. The structures and properties of the thin films were measured with Fourier transform infrared, NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and impedance analysis. The PI films exhibited glass‐transition temperatures in the range of 211–300°C and possessed initial thermal decomposition temperature reaching up to 457–482°C in air and 461–473°C in nitrogen. Some PI films had high solubility in organic solvents such as 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, N,N‐dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, m‐cresol, tetrahydrofuran, and CHCl₃. The mechanical properties of these films were also examined. The dielectric constants of the films were in the range of 2.8–3.3 at 25°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1265–1270, 2007     

An m‐phenylenediamine‐based benzoxazine with favorable processability and its high‐performance thermoset

A novel aromatic diamine‐based benzoxazine (P‐mPDA) is successfully synthesized from m‐phenylenediamine (m‐PDA), 2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde, and formaldehyde. The polymerization behavior of P‐mPDA and the properties of its thermoset are studied. The results indicate that P‐mPDA owns favorable processability including low polymerization temperature, low liquefying temperature, and wide processing window. Even lower polymerization temperature (polymerization onset temperature as low as 80 °C) can be achieved by the promotion of catalysts. The ring‐opening polymerization of P‐mPDA first generates polybenzoxazine with N, O‐acetal‐type structure and arylamine Mannich‐type structure, following which rearrangement from N, O‐acetal‐type structure to phenolic Mannich‐type structure proceeds at elevated temperature. Furthermore, the polymerized P‐mPDA shows outstanding performance such as extremely high glass transition temperature (T_g) of 280 °C, high char yield above 53% at 800 °C under nitrogen and excellent mechanical property. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43368.     

Synthesis and properties of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) copolymers containing carboxyl groups for proton‐exchange membrane materials

A series of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) copolymers containing carboxyl groups were synthesized via a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction from phenolphthalein, hydroquinone sulfonic acid potassium salt, and 2,6‐difluorobenzonitrile in N‐methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) with K₂CO₃ as a catalyst. The synthesized copolymers had good solubility in common polar organic solvents and could be easily processed into membranes from solutions of dimethyl sulfoxide, NMP, N,N′‐dimethyl acetylamide, and dimethylformamide. Typical membranes in acid form were gained, and the chemical structures of these membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The thermal properties, fluorescence properties, water uptake, ion‐exchange capacity, and proton conductivities of these copolymers were also investigated. The results indicate that they had high glass‐transition temperatures in the range 151–187°C and good thermal stability, with the 10 wt% loss temperatures ranging from 330 to 351°C under nitrogen. The copolymers showed characteristic unimodal ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption and fluorescence emission, and the UV–vis absorption, fluorescence excitation, and emission peaks of the copolymers were obvious. Moreover, the copolymer membranes showed good water uptake and proton conductivities at room temperature and 55% relative humidity because of the introduction of both sulfonic acid groups and carboxyl groups into the copolymers, whose contents were in ranges 18.45–67.86 and 3.4 × 10^?4 to 3.0 × 10^?3 s/cm, respectively. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40213.     

Photodegradation of Poly(L‐lactic acid): Effects of Photosensitizer

Summary: Amorphous and crystallized poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA‐A and PLLA‐C, respectively) films with different contents of N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine (TMPD) as a photosensitizer were prepared, and the effects of the addition of TMPD on the photodegradation of PLLA films were investigated. It was found that the addition of TMPD effectively enhanced the photodegradation of PLLA films and thereby decreased their molecular weight of PLLA films regardless of their crystallinity, and that PLLA films with different molecular weights can be prepared by the addition of different amounts of TMPD and subsequent UV irradiation. Too high contents of TMPD however caused the brittleness of PLLA films due to a large decrease in molecular weight. The PLLA chains in crystalline regions as well as those in amorphous regions are photodegradable even at an early stage, in marked contrast to their hydrolytic degradation, where the chains in the amorphous regions are selectively degraded. The basic changes in glass transition, cold crystallization, and melting temperatures (T_g, T_cc, and T_m, respectively) of PLLA films during UV irradiation can be ascribed to low‐temperature annealing effects; i.e., annealing‐induced stabilization in chain packing should have elevated T_g, and annealing‐induced formation of crystallite nuclei should have lowered T_cc and increased T_m. The exceptional large decreases in T_cc and T_m of UV‐irradiated PLLA‐A films and in T_g of UV‐irradiated PLLA‐C films at high TMPD contents are attributable to the large decrease in molecular weight, whereas the exceptional decrease in T_m of PLLA‐C films at high TMPD contents can be due to the folding surface structural change of crystalline regions or to the lattice disorder caused by molecular structural changes.

of PLLA‐A films before UV irradiation and after UV irradiation for 60 h as a function of TMPD content.     

In situ polymerization and photophysical properties of poly(p‐phenylene benzobisoxazole)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes composites

Poly(p‐phenylene benzobisoxazole)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PBO‐MWCNT) composites with different MWCNT compositions were prepared through in situ polymerization of PBO in the presence of carboxylated MWCNTs. The nanocomposite's structure, thermal and photophysical properties were investigated and compared with their blend counterparts (PBO/MWCNT) using Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra, Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, UV‐vis absorption, and photoluminescence. The results showed that MWCNTs had a strong interaction with PBO through covalent bonding. The incorporation of MWCNTs increased the distance between two neighboring PBO chains and also improved the thermal resistance of PBO. The investigation of UV‐vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra exhibited that in situ PBO‐MWCNT composites had a stronger absorbance and obvious trend of red‐shift compared with blend PBO/MWCNT composites for all compositions. This behavior can be attributed to the efficient energy transfer through forming conjugated bonding interactions in the PBO‐MWCNT composites. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis and properties of photosensitive poly(urethane‐acrylate) containing anil groups with application in the chemosensors area

Some aspects of the enol‐imine to keto‐enamine photoisomerism and fluorescent behavior of the new monomer with urethane and anil units in its structure, namely, methacryloyloxyethyl‐2‐carbamoyloxy(m‐methyl, o‐hydroxybenziliden)aniline (UAN), were studied comparatively with the corresponding copolymer poly (methacryloyloxyethyl‐2‐carbamoyloxy(m‐methyl, o‐hydroxybenziliden)aniline)‐co‐methyl methacrylate) (COP‐UAN). The structure, thermal properties, and morphology of the anil compounds were investigated by Fourier transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, fluorescence spectroscopies, UV spectrophotometry, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and atomic force microscopy. The photochromic behavior of salicylideneanil units was investigated by UV/laser irradiation, and an inspection of their photophysical properties suggested that such structures could function as fluorescent chemosensors for some transition metals, a fluorescence quenching in the presence of different metal cations (Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ni²⁺) being evidenced. The direct observation of an enhancement in the fluorescence emission caused of the presence of Zn²⁺ (solution) or Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺ (thin film) would be rather suitable for the production of turn‐on fluorescent chemosensors. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Investigation of third‐order nonlinear optical properties of pyrazoline‐doped polyvinyl alcohol films

A 2‐pyrazoline,3‐(phenyl)‐5‐(4‐N,N‐dimethylaminophe nyl)‐1H‐2‐pyrazoline (PDAP) was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet (UV)–visible, and Z‐scan techniques. The PDAP‐doped polyvinyl alcohol composite films were prepared by solvent casting method using dimethylformamide as solvent. The optical properties of the composites were studied using UV–visible, steady state fluorescence, single beam Z‐scan technique and degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) technique. The optical constants such as band gap and optical activation energy were evaluated. The steady state fluorescence data showed both emission peak wavelengths and intensity change with PDAP‐doping level in the composites. The open aperture Z‐scan of the composite films displayed reverse saturable absorption. A self‐focusing effect was observed under closed aperture configuration and the nonlinear refractive index of the film was observed increasing with the increase of doping. The third‐order nonlinear susceptibility was compared with that obtained with picoseconds pulses through DFWM technique. The thermogravimetry analysis shows that the composites are thermally stable up to 260°C. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Organosoluble,low‐dielectric‐constant fluorinated polyimides based on 9,9‐bis[4‐(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethyl‐ phenoxy)phenyl]xanthene

A new trifluoromethylated bis(ether amine) monomer, 9,9‐bis[4‐(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)phenyl]xanthene (BATFPX), was prepared through the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of 2‐chloro‐5‐nitrobenzotrifluoride and 9,9‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)xanthene in the presence of potassium carbonate, followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C in ethanol. A series of novel fluorinated polyimides were synthesized from BATFPX with various commercially available aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides by one‐step polycondensation in m‐cresol. The resulting polyimides were readily soluble in many organic solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide and tetrahydrofuran, and afforded transparent, flexible and strong films with low moisture absorption (0.28–0.51%), low dielectric constant (2.85–3.26 at 1 MHz) and good optical transparency with UV‐visible absorption cut‐off wavelengths at 352–410 nm. All the polyimides were amorphous and exhibited high thermal stability, with glass transition temperatures of 282–330 °C, 5% weight loss temperatures above 520 °C in nitrogen or air and char yields higher than 55% at 800 °C in nitrogen. Also, these polyimides had good mechanical properties with tensile strengths of 93–118 MPa, elongations at break of 9–16% and initial moduli of 2.07–2.58 GPa. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Electrodeposition of free‐standing poly(o‐dihydroxybenzene‐co‐3‐methylthiophene) films with tunable fluorescence properties

Electrochemical copolymerization of o‐dihydroxybenzene (oDHB) and 3‐methylthiophene (3MeT) was successfully achieved in boron trifluoride diethyl etherate by direct anodic oxidation of the monomer mixtures, although the oxidation potentials of oDHB and 3MeT were quite different. The influence of the applied polymerization potential on the synthesis of the copolymers was investigated. The higher applied potential favored the incorporation of 3MeT units into the copolymers. The structure and properties of the copolymers were investigated with UV‐vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The novel copolymers had many advantages, including good redox activity, good thermal stability, and high electrical conductivity. Additionally, the copolymers fluorescence properties that were tunable through changes in the feed ratio of the monomer mixtures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010