Synthesis and characterization of new imidazole and fluorene-bisphenol based polyamides: Thermal, photophysical and antibacterial properties

A new para-linked diether-diamine, 9,9-bis{4-[2-(4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-yl)-4-aminophenoxy] phenyl}fluorene (III), bearing fluorene-bisphenol and two ortho-linked diaryl-substituted imidazole rings were synthesized by the catalytic reduction of the nitro groups of compound (II), 9,9-bis{4-[2-(4,5-diphenylimidazol-2-yl)-4-nitrophenoxy]phenyl}fluorene, by using hydrazine monohydrate in the presence of Pd/C. Compound (II) was synthesized by the nucleophilic chloro displacement reaction of the synthesized 2-(2-chloro-5-nitrophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazole with 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene in refluxing DMAc in the presence of potassium carbonate. This diamine was condensed directly with aliphatic and aromatic diacids via the Yamazaki-Higashi phosphorylation method in the presence of triphenylphosphite (TPP), pyridine (Py) and halide salt to give high molecular polyamides (PAs). The synthesized PAs were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities between 0.51 and 0.76 dL g−1. The structures of diamine and PAs were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy, and properties of PAs were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The PAs showed good solubility in aprotic and polar organic solvents, with high thermal stability exhibiting the glass transition temperatures (Tgs) and 10% weight loss temperatures (T10%) in the range of 226-330 °C and 400-466 °C in air, respectively, and fluorescence emission with maximum wavelengths (λem) in the range of 417-473 nm with quantum yields (Φf) of 9-35%. Two of these polymers together with compounds (II) and (III) were also screened for antibacterial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.