Highly soluble fluorinated polyimides based on an asymmetric bis(ether amine): 1,7‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)naphthalene

A novel structurally asymmetric bis(ether amine) monomer containing trifluoromethyl groups, 1,7‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)naphthalene, was prepared through the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2‐chloro‐5‐nitrobenzotrifluoride and 1,7‐dihydroxynaphthalene in the presence of potassium carbonate in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), followed by catalytic reduction with hydrazine and Pd/C in ethanol. A series of new fluorine‐containing polyimides were synthesized from the diamine with various commercially available aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides using a two‐stage process with thermal or chemical imidization method. The intermediate poly(amic acid)s had inherent viscosities between 0.93 and 1.93 dL/g. Most of the polyimides obtained from both routes were readily soluble in many organic solvents such as NMP and N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc). All the polyimides could afford transparent, flexible, and strong films with low moisture absorptions of 0.29–0.69%, low dielectric constants of 2.81–3.23 at 10 kHz, and an ultraviolet‐visible absorption cutoff wavelength at 358–423 nm. The glass‐transition temperatures (Tgs) (by DSC) and softening temperatures (by thermomechanical analysis) of the polyimides were recorded in the range of 222–271 °C and 210–266 °C, respectively. Decomposition temperatures for 10% weight loss all occurred above 500 °C in both nitrogen and air atmospheres. For a comparative study, some properties of the present polyimides will be compared with those of structurally related ones derived from 1,7‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)naphthalene and 1,5‐bis(4‐amino‐2‐trifluoromethylphenoxy)naphthalene.