Thermogravimetric study of some new transition metal–schiff base coordination polymers

A condensation reaction between 5‐amino‐8‐hydroxyquinoline and terephthalaldehyde yielded a bis‐bifunctional Schiff base ligand, 5,′5‐[ p ‐phenylene‐bis(methylidynenitrilo)] di‐8‐quinolinol, which was used to produce coordination polymers containing Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), or Zn(II) in the form of insoluble powders. The thermal stabilities of these polymers were evaluated in vacuum over the temperature range of 25–700°C. by using a newly constructed thermobalance having improved sensitivity. The results relate the decomposition of the polymers to the metal in the backbone as well as to the organic ligand to which the metal is coordinated. Some discussion is devoted to the possible modes of decomposition of these polymers.