Synthesis and characterization of novel polyimides derived from 2-amino-5-[4-(4′-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-thiazole with some of dianhydride monomers

A new kind of aromatic unsymmetrical diamine monomer containing thiazole ring, 2-amino-5-[4-(4′-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-thiazole (APPT), was synthesized. A series of novel polyimides were prepared by polycondensation of APPT with various aromatic dianhydrides via one-step process. The resulting polyimides held inherent viscosities of 0.40–0.71 dL/g and were easily dissolved in strong dipolar solvents. Meanwhile, strong and flexible polyimide films were obtained, which had thermal stability with the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of 268.2–328.8 °C in nitrogen, the temperature at 5% weight loss of 452–507 °C in nitrogen and 422–458 °C in air, and the residue at 800 °C of 54.18–63.33% in nitrogen, as well as exhibited outstanding mechanical properties with the tensile strengths of 105.4–125.3 MPa, elongations at breakage of 6–13%. These films also held dielectric constants of 3.01–3.18 (10 MHz) and showed predominantly amorphous revealed by wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements.