SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME NOVEL POLYAMIDES CONTAINING DIACETYLENE SIDE-GROUPS

A series of novel polyamides containing diacetylene groups as side cha ins were prepared by Cadiot-Chodkiewcz-coupling of polymer precursors bearing 2-propynyloxy side groups with 4-bromo-3-butyn-1-ol. The conve rsion of the acetylenic groups was in the range of 87.5-96.5% dependin g on the chemical structure of the polymer backbone. The polymers are highly amorphous and undergo random cross-linking on heating. Thermall y treated polymer films show third-order nonlinear optical susceptibil ity chi(3) of the order of 10(-10) esu (= 10(-18) m(5)/V-2).