Synthesis, characterization and properties of novel polyamides containing ferrocene unit and flexible spacers

Synthesis and characterization of ferrocene-containing main-chain polyamides are reported in this article. A new, interesting type of organometallic monomer (FDADO) based on ferrocene was prepared by interfacial condensation of 1,1'-dichlorocarbonyl ferrocene with 2 mol 1,8-diamino-3,6-dioxaoctane (DADO). A series of ferrocene-based polyamides was prepared via polycondensation of the ferrocenyl diamine (FDADO) with different diacid chlorides using two different methods. The monomer and polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and NMR spectroscopy. The thermal stability and behavior of the synthesized polymers were evaluated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystallinity of polymers was examined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Inherent viscosity, solubility and flame-retardancy of the polymers were also studied. The obtained polymers showed good heat-resistance and flame-retardancy, and improved solubility vs generally reported polyamides in some common organic solvents. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.