Abstract
A series of new copolymers with high molecular weight and low polydispersity, prepared from tetrahydroxydinaphthyl, tetrahydroxyspirobisindane, and tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile monomers, prevent efficient space packing of the stiff polymer chains and consequently show intrinsic microporosity. One copolymer, DNPIM-33, has an excellent combination of properties with good film-forming characteristics and gas transport performance, and exhibits higher selectivity than the corresponding spirobisindane-based homopolymer PIM-1 for gas pairs, such as O-2/N-2, with a corresponding small decrease in permeability. This work demonstrates that significant improvements in properties may be obtained through development of copolymers with intrinsic microporosity (CoPIMs) that extends the spectrum of high-molecular-weight ladder structures of poly(dibenzodioxane)s.