Hydrothermal Synthesis of Composition- and Morphology-Tunable Polyimide-Based Microparticles

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Polyimides are high-performance polymers valued for mechanical strength and thermal stability.
• Conventional polyimide synthesis often involves toxic solvents and catalysts.
• Hydrothermal polymerization offers a solvent- and catalyst-free alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize polyimide-based microparticles (PIMs) via one-pot hydrothermal polymerization.
• To investigate the tunability of PIM chemical composition and morphology using different phenylenediamine (PDA) isomers.
• To explore the structure-property relationships influencing PIM characteristics.

Main Methods:

• One-pot hydrothermal polymerization of mellitic acid (MA) and phenylenediamine (PDA) isomers (ortho-, meta-, para-).
• Molecular dynamics simulation to analyze polymer chain dynamics.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand bonding and structural influences.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of PIMs with tunable compositions and distinct morphologies based on PDA isomer choice.
• Demonstrated correlation between amide/imide ratio, chain rotational freedom, and hydrogen bonding with PIM structure.
• Hydrothermal method provides a facile and eco-friendly route to PIMs.

Conclusions:

• The choice of PDA isomers in hydrothermal polymerization offers precise control over PIM chemical structure and morphology.
• Molecular simulations elucidate the fundamental relationships between polymer chain dynamics, hydrogen bonding, and PIM structural integrity.
• Synthesized PIMs show significant potential for applications in advanced materials, energy storage, and composites.