Nanostructured composites of poly(triazole-amide-imide)s and reactive titanium oxide by epoxide functionalization: thermal, mechanical, photophysical and metal ions adsorption properties

A diimide-diacid was synthesized from the reaction between a new diamine, 4,4′-(4-(4-(quinolin-8-yloxy)phenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-diyl)dianiline (6), and trimellitic anhydride. A series of poly(triazole-amide-imide)s (PTAI)s containing phenoxyquinoline as pendant was synthesized from polycondensation between the diimide-diacid with diamine (6) and three commercial diamines using Yamazaki’s method. Inherent viscosities of PTAIs were in the range of 0.61–0.67 dL/g, they were readily soluble in a variety of organic solvents and formed low-colored and tough thin films via solution casting. PTAIs exhibited T_g between 270 °C and 340 °C, and their 10 % weight loss temperatures (T_10%) were in the range of 430–500 °C. A series of nanocomposites was prepared from solution blending process of PTAI and surface modified TiO₂ nanoparticles (MNTiO₂). Structure and morphology of the nanocomposites were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effect of interfacial interaction between MNTiO₂ and polymer chains on thermal, physical, mechanical, thermo-mechanical and photophysical properties of nanocomposites was investigated. Triazole and phenoxyquinoline groups were efficient chelating/host units for heavy metals; therefore PTAIs and nanocomposites were used for the extraction and elimination of environmentally deleterious ions from aqueous solutions.