Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyamides derived from various derivatives of 4,4′-oxydianiline

Three aromatic diamines, 2,2'-diiodo-4,4'-oxydianiline (DI-ODA 2), 2,2'-bis[p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4,4'-oxydianiline (BTFP-ODA 3) and 2,8-diaminodibenzofuran (DADBF 5) were synthesized by using 4,4-oxydianiline (4,4'-ODA) as the starting material. New aromatic polyamides 6, 7 and 8 were prepared from these three diamines and six commercially available aromatic diacids by direct polycondensation, respectively. Polyamides 6 and 7 contained bulky iodide and p-trifluoromethylphenyl substitutents that would hinder the chain packing and increase the free volume. They exhibited good optical transparency in visible light region and showed excellent solubility in organic solvents such as DMSO, DMAc, DMF and NMP. Polyamides 8 containing planar dibenzofuran moieties had the highest glass transition temperatures and decomposition temperatures among these polyamides. Polyamides 6 had the lowest decomposition temperatures due to the presence of weak carbon-iodine bond. All of these polyamides showed amorphous nature evidenced by wide angle X-ray diffraction. No endothermic peaks were observed from DSC thermograms up to their decomposition temperatures. High optical transparency and excellent solubility combined with good thermal stability make these polyamides attractive for potential soft electronics applications.