Synthesis and characterization of novel optically active poly(ester-imide)s with high Tg and good thermal stability

A series of novel optically active poly(ester-imide)s (ter-PEIs) with high glass transition temperature ( T g ), good thermal stability, and solubility were successfully designed and synthesized by direct polycondensation reactions, using p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHB), 4,4’-dihydroxybenzophenone, and a chiral diacid, N , N '-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L-phenylalanine diacid as monomers. The resulting terpolymers were characterized by 1 H-NMR, FTIR, element analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, different scanning calorimeter and wide-angle x-ray diffraction, etc. The ter-PEIs are amorphous polymers with good heat resistance and high T g s. They are soluble in many common polar organic solvents and show optically rotation property. The specific rotation values of the ter-PEIs increase with the molar ratio of the chiral diacid, and the rigid PHB monomer is beneficial to increase the T g s of the polymers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.