Investigation of the controllable thermal curing reaction for ultrahigh T polyarylene ether nitrile compositions

High-performance polymer plays critical roles in 5G communication and electronic applications. Hence, special engineering plastic polyarylene ether nitrile (PEN) suitable for use in a harsh environment (Tg ＞ 400 °C,T5% ＞ 500 °C, and tensile strength 100 MPa) has been developed. Bisphthalonitrile (BPh) units form a flexible bridge between the nitrile of PEN. In the preparation, DDS acts as a catalyst and ZnCl2 functions as both a catalyst and a reinforcing phase, to enhance the degree of crosslinking and mechanical properties of the resulting compositions. Therefore, the structure of a linear polymer is converted into a 3D network, resulting in greatly enhanced performance. The mode of action for DDS/ZnCl2 and the transformation of nitrile groups has been described. These insights provide an understanding of the impact of crosslinking factors in structure formation and supply a feasible design strategy for the preparation of high-performance polymer films.