Synthesis, characterization and fluorimetric studies of novel photoactive poly(amide-imide) from anthracene 9-carboxaldehyde and 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether by microwave irradiation

Trimellitic anhydride acid chloride (2) was obtained by the reaction of trimellitic anhydride (1) and excess amount of thionyl chloride. The acid chloride was reacted with 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (3), and produced the monomer 4. Anthracene-9-carboxaldehyde (5) was reacted with sulfuryl chloride to produce anthracene-9-carboxylic acid chloride (6) in a quantitative yield. Through the reaction of 6 and 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine (7), the monomer 8 was produced in high yield. Two monomers were characterized by 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy, and then were used in the polymerization reaction. A new facile and rapid polycondensation reaction of the two monomers was performed by using a domestic microwave oven. The polymerization reaction proceeded rapidly, compared with the conventional solution polycondensation and was completed within 10 min, producing a photoactive poly(amide-imide) in a quantitative yield. The resulting polymer was characterized by IR, 1H NMR and TGA techniques. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that polymer 9 was thermally stable in nitrogen atmosphere. In addition the initial decomposition temperature, 5% and 10% weight loss (T5, T10) were 284, 356 and 408 °C. The residual weight percent at 700 °C was 51.5%, which shows it is moderately thermally stable. Fluorescence properties of polymer 9 were investigated in several solvents. The ideal concentration of each case was determined by fluorescence self quenching phenomena. Also the self quenching mechanism was studied according to the specific behavior of the polymer in different solvents.