Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides and polyimides derived from (E)‐9‐[β‐(2,4‐diaminophenyl)vinyl]anthracene

A new anthracene‐containing diamine, (E)‐9‐[β‐(2,4‐diaminophenyl)vinyl]anthracene, was prepared and used for the synthesis of a series of polyamides and polyimides by low temperature solution polycondensation. The polymers were highly amorphous, soluble in aprotic solvents and gave films with good optical quality on spin‐casting. The polymers showed 10% weight loss at a temperature of 415–460°C under nitrogen. The polymers exhibited an intense luminescence in the region of 450–500 nm due the emission from the excited state of the diamine moiety. It was shown that charge‐transfer (CT) interactions in polyimides were negligibly small in both the ground and the excited state, probably due to the bulky diamine fragment together with the rigid polymer backbone.