Dielectric and other properties of polyimide aerogels containing fluorinated blocks.

The dielectric and other properties of a series of low-density polyimide block copolymer aerogels have been characterized. Two different anhydride-capped polyimide oligomers were synthesized: one from 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6FDA) and 4,4′-oxidianiline (ODA) and the other from biphenyl-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride and ODA. The oligomers were combined with 1,3,5-triaminophenoxybenzene to form a block copolymer networked structure that gelled in under 1 h. The polyimide gels were supercritically dried to give aerogels with relative dielectric constants as low as 1.08. Increasing the amount of 6FDA blocks by up to 50% of the total dianhydride decreased the density of the aerogels, presumably by increasing the free volume and also by decreasing the amount of shrinkage seen upon processing, resulting in a concomitant decrease in the dielectric properties. In this study, we have also altered the density independent of fluorine substitution by changing the polymer conc...