Oxidative degradation of nadic-end-capped polyimides. 2. Evidence for reactions occurring at high temperatures

The oxidative degradation of PMR (for olymerization of monomeric reactants) polyimides at elevated temperatures was followed by cross-polarized magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) NMR. ¹³C labeling of selected sites in the polymers allowed for direct observation of the transformations arising from oxidation processes. As opposed to model compound studies, the reactions were followed directly in the polymer. The labeling experiments confirm the previously reported oxidation of the methylene carbon to ketone in the methylenedianiline portion of the polymer chain. They also show the formation of two other oxidized species, acid and ester, from this same carbon. In addition, the technique provides the first evidence of the kind of degradation reactions that are occurring in the nadic end cape. Several PMR formulations containing moieties determined to be present after oxidation, as suggested by the labeling study, were synthesized Weight FTIR, and natural abundance NMR of these derivatives were followed during aging. In this way. weight loss could be related to the observed transformations.