Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) and vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymers (VAVAL) were esterified with 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl chloride using the cycled urea N,N 0 -dimethylpropyleneurea (1,3-dimethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2(1H)-pyrimidinone) (DMPU) as the solvent. Vinyl alcohol-vinyl-3,5-dinitrobenzoate copolymers (VALVDNB) and vinyl acetate-vinyl-3,5-dinitrobenzoate copolymers (VAVDNB) were obtained. High degrees of esterification were obtained when PVAL was esterified (86%). The degree of transformation was determined by 1 H-NMR as well as by chemical analysis, and the structure of the resulting polymers by means of IR spectroscopy and 1 Hand 13 C-NMR. The microstructure of PVA, PVAL, VAVAL copolymers and VALVDNB copolymers were determined from 1 H-and 13 C-NMR techniques. The sequence distributions for VAVAL copolymers prepared by base-catalyzed transesterification of PVA were blocky, while the distributions were close to random for VALVDNB copolymers obtained by esterification of PVAL. Thermal properties were studied by DSC. The T g values of VAVAL, VALVDNB, and VAVDNB copolymers as a function of copolymer compositions were determined.