POLYIMIDE MICRO- AND NANOPARTICLES VIA THE REPRECIPITATION METHOD

Polymeric micro- and nanoparticles (NPs) are of broad interest in many specific surface applications including advanced materials, drug delivery, medical imaging, etc. Here, we report the obtaining of new polymer particles based on a partial-alicyclic copolyimide (PI) derived from bicyclo [2.2.2] oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BOCA). Both structural forms, the polymer precursor of PI, poly (amic acid) (PAA), and PI, were used to prepare polyimide particles (PI Ps) by reprecipitation from their solutions. Microscopy techniques, laser light scattering (LLs) and thermal analyses were used to investigate the PI Ps morphology and their thermal behavior. Microscopy data revealed a spherical shape with diameters in the range of 10 divided by 700 nm for the PI Ps obtained from PAA solutions, and shapes like sphere, ellipse or even formless PI Ps for those prepared from the PI solution. For the last ones, spherical particle sizes range between 1 divided by 13 mu m. The resulting polyimide particles are thermally stable around 300 degrees C.