Anhydrous dimethylacetamide

Firstly, MDI (4,4’-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, Sigma-Aldrich) (2.0 mmol) and PTMG (poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol, Mw = 2900, Sigma-Aldrich) (1.0 mmol) were added in an anhydrous dimethylacetamide (Sigma-Aldrich) solution (20 ml), and the mixture was heated at 80 °C for 4 h under inert argon gas to form isocyanate capped PTMG intermediate. After cooling to room temperature, EDA (ethylenediamine, Sigma-Aldrich) (1.0 mmol) was added to the solution under vigorous stirring, and the mixture was heated to 70 °C for 4 h. The polymer can be obtained by evaporating the solvent at 60 °C.

Anhydrous dimethyl acetamide (DMAc, 99%), anhydrous pyridine (Py), dimethyl amino pyridine (DMAp), trimethylsilylchloride (TMSC, >98%), N, N dimethyl formamide (DMF), 3-methoxycarbonyl-phenylboronic acid and tetrahydrofuran (THF, 99%) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and used as received. NaOH (sodium hydroxide), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine) palladium (0) (Pd(PPh₃)₄), potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), hydrochloric acid and thionyl chloride (SOCl₂) were obtained from Scharlau (Scharlab, Barcelona, Spain). The diacid 5′-tert-butyl-m-terphenyl-3,3″-dicarboxylic acid (tBTmDA) was synthesized following the procedure previously reported [27 (link)].
o-Hydroxydiamine 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxy phenyl)-hexafluoropropane (APAF) was purchased from Apollo Scientific (Apollo Scientific, Stockport, Cheshire, UK) and purified through sublimation at 220–225 °C before use. 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene) dianiline (6FpDA, Apollo Scientific, Stockport, Cheshire, UK) purified through sublimation at 220 °C and 5′-terbutil-m-terphenyl-3,3″-dichloride (tBTmCl) were employed as monomers to create the polyamide without o-hydroxy groups (PA). The synthesis of the corresponding HPA was carried out as described elsewhere [28 (link)].
The dichloride monomer (tBTmCl) was prepared from the corresponding diacid, as described below.

Anhydrous Ether, anhydrous dimethylacetamide were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich or Aladdin (Shanghai, China). Lithium sulfide and element sulfur were purchased from Alfa Aesar. TEMPO, carbon disulfide, and anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide were purchased from Aladdin. LiTFSI, LiNO₃, and dioxolane were purchased from https://www.dodochem.com/. The carbon felt (thickness: 1 mm) was purchased from Beijing Jinglong Special Carbon Technology Corporation (Beijing, China). The carbon felt was ultrasonically washed twice before use with alternating alcohol and acetone, and other chemicals were used as received. The lithium polysulfides were synthesized by adding a certain mole ratio of Lithium sulfide to element sulfur into different solvents under heat. The lithium flakes were obtained from China Energy Lithium Co., Ltd (diameter: 12 mm, thickness: 0.45 mm).