ABSTRACT:A new diamine monomer containing cyano group, 2-cyano-4,4' -diaminodiphenyl ether, was synthesized and polymerized to polyimides with several aromatic dianhydrides via two kinds of imidization methods, namely, thermal or solution imidization methods. By the thermal imidization method, tough, flexible, and creasable polyimide films were obtained except the polyimide from pyromellitic dianhydride. The polyimides have high Tg values and are stable up to 500°C in air. The polyimide made from the diamine and 4,4'-oxyphthalic anhydride via solution imidization method was partially soluble in polar aprotic solvents, but it becomes soluble when the cyano groups are hydrolyzed.KEY WORDS Polyimide / Unsymmetrical Diamine / 2-Cyano-4,4'-diaminodiphenyl Ether/ Solution Imidization / Recent technological advances in space and other areas have generated a continuing and growing need for materials that withstand prolonged exposures at temperature in excess of 300°C and/or relatively short exposures at much higher temperature. The need has become particularly acute for high temperature materials used in electrical and thermal insulation, gaskets, flexible tubing, advanced composites and many other items. Among high temperature polymers, aromatic polyimides were developed in the early 1960s and since then have been of great technological importance due to their high temperature stability, 1 • 2 favorable dielectric properties and chemical resistance. And now aromatic polyimides find many applications in the composites and microelectronics.However, most ofpolyimides encounter processing difficulties due to their infusibility and poor solubility in organic solvents that mainly come from strong interchain forces and chain rigidity. A great deal of research effort on the polyimides has been concerned on improvement of processability and other properties with minimal effect on thermal stability. 3 For example, polyimides containing trifluoromethyl groups showed high modulus, low thermal expansion coefficient, and good solubility,4-7 and incorporation of heterocyclic units into polyimide chains increased the glass transition temperature and thermooxidative stability_s-u Recently, we succeeded in synthesis of new soluble polyimides from the unsymmetrical diamine containing trifluoromethyl groups at 2-position of 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether. 12 These polyimides have improved solubility and their thermal properties are comparable to those of the polyimides without trifluoromethyl groups. Therefore, it is interesting to attach a cyano group, which is smaller than trifluoromethyl group but has stronger electron withdrawing characteristics, to the rigid aromatic polyimides not only because the cyano group may interfere chain interactions of the rigid polyimides but also because it can be transformed into other functional group. In this study, new diamine monomer containing cyano group, 2-cyano-4,4' -diaminodiphenyl ether (2) was synthesized and polymerized with several dianhydrides, and the effect of the pendent cyano groups on the ...