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

A new anthracene-containing diamine, (E)-9-[beta-(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 degrees C under nitrogen. The poymers 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.