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.