Poly(azomethine-epoxy-ether) containing phenyl and etoxy moieties: synthesis, characterization and fluorescence property

Abstract

The design and synthesis of poly(azomethine-epoxy-ether) (PAZ-EP) containing epoxide moiety was described. The purpose of the research was the improvement of poly(azomethine-ether) containing epoxide by introduction of Schiff base moiety. PAZ-EP was synthesized using epichlorohydrin (EP). The structure of the Schiff base (SB) and PAZ-EP were verified by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and UV–Vis spectroscopic analyses. Further characterization was employed using photophysical, electrochemical and fluorescence (PL) measurements. Application of TGA and differential scanning calorimetry analyses revealed thermal stability and thus propose a thermal processibility, which makes them potential materials for many contemporary practices. The number of average molecular weight of polymer with a polydispersity index of 1.14 was found to be 6750 Da using a gel permeation chromatography instrument. The highest occupied–lowest unoccupied energy levels and electrochemical ( $$E_{\text{g}}^{'}$$ ) band gap values of PAZ-EP were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were illustrated at different magnifications to study the morphologic property of PAZ-EP.