The melts of aromatic carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid (BA) at 130–160 °C were shown to be excellent media for the one-pot synthesis of high molecular weight, completely cyclicized polyetherimides (PEIs) from the corresponding diamines and tetracarboxylic acid dianhydrides. According to the data on the cyclodehydratation (CD) kinetics of oligomeric amic acid model compounds, the rate of cyclicization of transient polyamic acids in BA at 140 °C is very high, and the polymer chain growth proceeds via the polyaddition of completely cyclicized PEI oligomers with amino and anhydride end groups. Tetracarboxylic acids in BA at 140 °C were shown to react with aromatic diamines to obtain high molecular weight PEIs as well as the corresponding dianhydrides. The effect of the total concentration of comonomers and the presence of an ‘inert’ diluent on the kinetics of the growth of the inherent viscosity in the polycyclocondensation of diamines and dianhydrides is discussed from the point of view of the mechanism of the process. The prospect of a novel synthetic approach in polyimide synthesis is discussed, including obtaining new homopolyimides based on extremely-low-reactivity monomers; new statistical, regular, alternating copolyimides and block copolyimides; two-component blends with one glass transition point, and PEIs based on AB-type heteromonomers.

Plasma treatment is one of the most promising tools to control surface properties of materials tailored for biomedical application. Among a variety of processing conditions, such as the nature of the working gas and time of treatment, discharge type is rarely studied, because it is mainly fixed by equipment used. This study aimed to investigate the effect of discharge type (direct vs. alternated current) using air as the working gas on plasma treatment of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films, in terms of their surface chemical structure, morphology and properties using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. The effect of the observed changes in terms of subsequent chitosan immobilization on plasma-treated films was also evaluated. The ability of native, plasma-treated and chitosan-coated films to support adhesion and growth of mesenchymal stem cells was studied to determine the practicability of this approach for the biomedical application of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films.

The one-pot, high temperature, catalytic synthesis of polyetherimides (PEIs) in molten benzoic acid was investigated. The synthesis was conducted using the AB monomers, 4-aminophenoxy phthalic acid (IIa) and 3-aminophenoxy phthalic acid (IIb). Both Homo and co-PEIs with different ratios of substituted AB IIa and IIb were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and wide angle X-ray diffraction. The solubility of the polymers in a variety of solvents was also investigated. Homo-poly-lib is an amorphous thermoplastic that is soluble in CHC13 DMS8 and amide-type solvents. Homo-poly-IIa has a locally ordered structure and is insoluble. Properties of the IIa/IIb copolymers depend strongly on their composition. When the IIa/Hlb ratio is 30: 70 or less, co-PEIs behave as thermoplastic substances soluble in chloroform. At an IIa/lIb ratio in the starting mixture of 40: 60 or higher, the properties of co-PEIs are similar to that of poly-IIa.

The kinetics associated with the reaction of aromatic and aliphatic diamines with phthalic anhydride in glacial acetic acid was studied. This model system was intended to simulate the synthesis of polyimides from diamines and dianhydrides in molten benzoic acid. The reaction proceeds in two discrete steps, the first acylation occurs by the reaction of the diamine with phthalic anhydride followed by cy-clodehydration of the corresponding bis-(o-carboxyamides). The focus of the work was on the influence of chemical composition and basicity of the diamines on the kinetics. Kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of model reactions were determined. It was established that acylation of aromatic and aliphatic diamines in acid medium proceeds as a reversible second-order reaction catalyzed by acid medium. On the basis of kinetic data obtained, an explanation is given for the observed phenomenon of reactivity leveling of diamines regardless of the basicity.