Preparation and properties of new soluble aromatic polyamides from 2,2?-bis(4-aminophenyl)biphenyl and aromatic dicarboxylic acids

Abstract

New biphenyl-2,2′-diyl-containing aromatic polyamides having a crank and twisted noncoplannar structure were synthesized in inherent viscosities of 0.39–1.42 dL/g by the low-temperature solution polycondensation of 2,2′-bis(4-aminophenyl)biphenyl, prepared in four steps starting from 2-aminobiphenyl, with various aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides. These polyamides were readily soluble in a variety of solvents including N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), m-cresol, and pyridine. Transparent, pale-yellow, and flexible films could be cast from the NMP solutions of the polyamides. The aromatic polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 284–320°C, and began to lose weight around 400°C, with 10% weight loss being recorded at about 500°C in air. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2029–2035, 1998