Synthesis and characterization of organo‐soluble polyamides containing triaryl imidazole pendant and ether linkage moieties: thermal, photophysical, and chemiluminescent properties

A new symmetrical diamine monomer containing a triaryl imidazole pendant group was successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution of hydroquinone with the synthesized 2‐(2‐chloro‐5‐nitrophenyl)‐4, 5‐diphenyl‐1H‐imidazole (I). A series of novel polyamides were prepared from the diamine monomer and various aliphatic and aromatic dicarboxylic acids via phosphorylation polyamidation. These polyamides are readily soluble in many organic solvents; their inherent viscosities ranged from 0.68 to 0.89 dl/g and gave tough and flexible films by solution‐casting. They had useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high T g s (186–278°C), 10% weight loss temperatures in the range of 355–482°C, and char yields at 600°C in air up to 67%. All the polyamides have fluorescence emission in dilute (0.2 g/dl) DMAc solution with maxima at 425–495 nm and with the quantum yields in the range 14–28%. The chemiluminescence activity of polyamides was also studied in the presence of peroxyoxalate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.