Preparation and characterization of optically active polyamides containing natural L-leucine amino acid linkages

Step-growth polymerization reactions of chiral diacid monomer containing phthalimide and flexible chiral groups with different commercially available diisocyanates were carried out under oil bath heating at 120 oC in tetrabutylammonium bromide as a modern green solvent or in N-methylpyrrolidone as a traditional solvent. Different optically active and thermally stable polyamides were obtained in high yields and moderate inherent viscosities.