Structural Study on Aromatic Poly(amic n-alkyl ester)s and Their Derivatives by Solid-State Imidization I.

Effect of Alkyl Chains on the Structure Change

Abstract

Para-linked rodlike aromatic poly(amic n-alkyl ester)s, in which n-alkyl side chains with various chain lengths were attached on aromatic polyamide, were prepared. Structure of the polyamides and its change during solidstate thermal and chemical imidization reaction were investigated. WAXD photographs revealed that a layered structure consisting of alternating main-chain- and side-chain-segregated layers was formed in the polyamides. After more than 40 mol% alkyl chains were removed from the sample by the imidization, the layered structure was destructed and the produced rodlike polyimide chains formed its crystalline lattice. The alkyl chain length had little influence on the structure change during the imidization.