A series of polyimides (PIs) was synthesized from 6FDA
and two o-OH substituted diamines having bulky pendant
phenyl, Ph,
and trifluoromethyl, CF3, groups as precursors for thermally
rearranged polybenzoxazole, TR-PBO, membranes. One diamine had two
pendant Ph substituents; in the other, the substituents were Ph and
CF3. Applying azeotropic and chemical cyclizations allowed
the obtention of four o-hydroxy (o-OH) or/and o-acetoxy (o-OAc) substituted
PIs depending on the imidization method. The PIs were labeled as 3Ph-OH,
4Ph-OH, or 3Ph-OAc and 4PH-OAc, respectively. Thermal rearrangements
of all four precursors were investigated in the interval from 350
to 450 °C. The conversions to TR-PBO increased with temperature,
and almost quantitative conversions were obtained at temperatures
close to 450 °C, although o-OH substituted PIs
reached conversions slightly higher than those of o-OAc PIs at a given temperature. The TR-polymers’ fractional
free volume (FFV) also increased with conversion but was higher for
the o-OAc substituted precursors. Despite the high
TR-PBO conversions, self-supported uniform TR membranes with reasonable
mechanical properties were obtained, except for 4Ph-OH. Gas separation
behavior of the membranes significantly improved after the thermal
treatment, and the final CO2/CH4 permselectivities
lay between the 1991 and 2008 Robeson upper bounds. Particularly,
TR-membranes derived from o-OAc precursors and with
pendant CF3 group demonstrated better gas transport properties
with values of P
(CO2) = 1121 barrer and
αCO2/CH4 = 29 for 3Ph-OAc derived membrane, which
positioned it beyond the 2008 upper limit.