Abstract: | New N-phenylated aromatic-aliphatic and all aromatic polyamides were prepared by the high-temperature solution polycondensation of 4,4′-dianilinobiphenyl with both aliphatic (methylene chain lengths of 6–11) and aromatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides. All of the aromatic-aliphatic polyamides and the wholly aromatic polyamides exhibited an amorphous nature and good solubility in amide-type and chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, except for those aromatic polyamides containing p-oriented phenylene or biphenylylene linkages in the backbone; the latter were crystalline and insoluble in organic solvents except m-cresol. The N-phenylated aromatic-aliphatic polyamides and aromatic polyamides had glass transition temperatures in the range of 79–116°C and 207–255°C, respectively, and all the polymers were thermally stable with decomposition temperatures above 400°C in air. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2193–2200, 1998 |