Novel amino-containing fluorene-based bisphthalonitrile compounds with flexible group

A series of amino-containing fluorene-based bisphthalonitrile (AFPN) monomers with alkyl or alkoxy groups were successfully produced by the reaction of 4-nitrophthalonitrile with 9, 9-bis (3-alkyl (or alkoxy)-4-aminophenyl)-2, 7-dihydroxylfluorene in the presence of potassium carbonate by a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The chemical structures of the synthesized monomers were confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. The synthesized monomers’ curing behaviors were evaluated by FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry, and a rheological analysis was performed to evaluate their respective processabilities. Moreover, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were performed for the thermomechanical, thermal, and thermo-oxidative analyses of the polymers. The results confirmed that the newly prepared phthalonitrile (PN) monomers with alkyl or alkoxy groups exhibited a self-promoted curing behavior. The rheological analysis suggested that the processing windows of the synthesized monomers were wider than that of APFN monomer bearing no flexible group. DMA and TGA revealed that the cured polymers exhibited high glass transition temperature (358–416°C) and the char yields at 800°C under nitrogen were between 70% and 77%. Moreover, the introduction of alkyl or alkoxy groups into the PN monomers’ backbones slightly reduced the thermal stability of the resulting polymers.