New phenazine-containing ladder polymer of intrinsic microporosity from a spirobisindane-based AB-type monomer

Abstract

A new solution-processable ladder polymer (PSBI-AB) of intrinsic microporosity with dibenzodioxane linkages and bis(phenazine) units was designed and synthesized by self-polymerization of an AB-type monomer containing both catechol and aromatic dichloride groups. Such polymerization is an effective way to synthesize high molecular weight polymers and has a significant advantage over AA-BB polycondensation due to the lack of the requirement for strict control over stoichiometric balance. This protocol can be used to prepare a variety of phenazine-containing ladder type PIMs from their aromatic tetramethoxy precursors. The obtained polymer had high average molecular mass, excellent thermal stability, a high BET surface area of 705 m² g⁻¹ and good solubility in some organic solvents such as chloroform, m-cresol and dichlorobenzene. Gas permeation measurements showed comparable results to the previously reported analogous PIM-7 for films made under the same formation protocol.