Dual Cross-Linked Networks Reinforced Polyimide Foams with Outstanding Piezoelectric Properties and Heat Resistance Performance

The application of traditional isocyanate-based polyimide (PI) foams is highly hindered due to limited flame retardancy, poor mechanical properties, and relatively single functionality. Herein, we propose an effective method to fabricate dual cross-linked polyimide/bismaleimide (PI-BMI) foams with outstanding heat resistance and enhanced mechanical properties by incorporating bis(3-ethyl-5-methyl-4-maleimidophenyl)methane (ME-BMI) as the interpenetrating network. The results show that the prepared PI-BMI composite foams exhibit enhanced mechanical properties with lightweight characteristics (23-80 kg·m^-3). When the ME-BMI loading reached 120 wt %, the tensile and compressive strength of PI-BMI composite foam can reach 1.9 and 7.8 MPa, which are 9.6 and 63.3 times higher than that of pure PI foam, respectively. In comparison with PIF-0, the 10% heat loss temperature (<i>T</i>_d,10%) of PIF-90 improved by 156 °C. Moreover, the PI-BMI foam piezoelectric sensor containing fluorine groups presents a short response time (14.22 ms), high sensitivity (0.266 V/N), and outstanding stability (10 000 cycles). Besides, the sensor can accurately monitor human activity in different states. This work provides a promising strategy for designing multifunctional PI foams, making them suitable for applications in aerospace and microelectronics.