Crystal Structure Models for the Aldaramide Units of Poly(pentaramides)

The X-ray crystal structures of seven structurally related diamides, N,N′-dihexyl- and N,N′-dimethylglutaramide, N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, N,N′-dimethylribaramide monohydrate, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, and 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-N,N′-dimethyl-l-arabinaramide, were determined. These diamides were chosen as solid-state conformational models for the diamido repeating units of the corresponding polyamides. Solid-state conformations of the two N,N-dialkyglutaramides, with no pendant groups, were compared to those of their stereochemically different trihydroxy derivatives N,N′-dimethylxylaramide, l-arabinaramide and ribaramide, and the two aforementioned tri-O-acetylpentaramides.     

Mechanisms for the Formation of Diamides and Polyamides by Aminolysis of d‐Glucaric Acid Esters

¹H and ¹³C NMR were employed to chart the conversion of the five‐membered lactone esters methyl d‐glucarate 1,4‐lactone (1) and ethyl d‐glucarate 6,3‐lactone (5) to N,N′‐dipropyl‐d‐glucaramide with n‐propylamine in DMSO‐d₆. These experiments were carried out to model the amide forming steps in polycondensation reactions between esterified d‐glucaric acid and diamines to give poly(d‐glucaramides). It was clear from the resulting NMR spectra that the lactones 1 and 5 were each converted in three consecutive steps to the product diamides; aminolysis of the lactone ester to the corresponding acyclic N‐propyl‐d‐glucaramide monoester, followed by lactonization to a five‐membered lactone amide, and concluding with aminolyis of the lactone amide to N,N′‐dipropyl‐d‐glucaramide (4). Comparison of the reaction pathways from 1 and 5 by ¹H NMR analysis suggests that ring opening of the 1,4‐lactone ester (1) and 1,4‐lactone amide (7) is faster than ring opening of the corresponding 6,3‐lactone ester (5) and 6,3‐lactone amide (3). Aminolysis of dimethyl l‐tartrate, which cannot form a five‐membered lactone, with n‐propylamine in DMSO‐d₆ was much slower than aminolysis of esterified glucaric acid, indicating that the lactone forming/lactone aminolysis steps are the dominant aminolysis rate enhancing steps from glucarate.     

Synthesis of Poly(galactaramides) from Alkylene- and Substituted Alkylenediammonium Galactarates

Polyhydroxypolyamides (PHPAs) represent a class of synthetic polyamides derived from aldaric acid and diamine monomer units. This paper describes the synthesis of some poly(galactaramides), a class of polyhydroxypolyamides, that employs alkylene and substituted alkylenediammonium galactarate salts, with 1:1 molar equivalency of the diacid and diamine monomer components, as precursors for the polyamides. The salts were treated with acid/alcohol and then base in order to initiate the polymerization in methanol. The polyamides, labeled as prepolyamides, precipitated from solution and were then subjected to a second polymerization (postpolymerization) in a different solvent to produce a generally larger polyamide, labeled as a postpolyamide.