SUBSTITUTED ROD-LIKE AROMATIC POLYAMIDES - SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONS

The synthesis and structure-property relations of a number of novel substituted paralinked aromatic homopolyamides and copolyamides are described. The synthesis of the polyamides was carried out by polycondensation of activated N,N'-bis-(trimethylsilyl) substituted aromatic diamines and aromatic diacid chlorides. In order to improve the solubility and to lower melting temperatures, novel arylsubstituted terephthalic acids moieties, such as p-terphenyl-2,5-dicarboxylic acid and o-terphenyl-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, were used in combination with substituted and noncoplanar diamines. Depending on the chemical structure, polyamides with very high solubility (up to 40% w/w) in polar aprotic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide without the addition of inorganic salts were obtained. Lyotropic liquid crystalline behavior was observed for the first time in polyamides which contain noncoplanar biphenylene units.