The reaction of hydrazides with simple aldehydes and ketones has been widely used.1.2 However, the reaction of dihydrazides with dialdehydes, and diketones to form linear poly(acy1hydrazones) has not been extensively investigated. Van Euler et al.,3p4 report the preparation of an insoluble, infusible polymer from 2,5-diformyl-4-methylphenol and oxalic acid dihydrazide, but did not characterize this polymer. They furthermore reported the condensation of 2,4-pentanedione and 2,5-hexanedione with sebacic and succinic acid dihydrazides. However, only low molecular weight polymers were isolated. It was therefore of interest to attempt the preparation of tractable, high molecular weight condensation polymers of this family and to examine their properties.
DiscussionA series of poly(acy1hydrazones) was prepared from various combinations of the dihydrazides of isophthalic, sebacic, and adipic acids with terephthalaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Limited attempts were also made to prepare the condensation polymers of 2,5-hexanedione and of pdiacetylbenzene. Equivalent quantities of dihydrazide and dicarbonyl compound reacted at room temperature in carefully purified solvents such as hexamethyl phosphoramide (HMPA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), or dimethylformamide (DMF) to give solutions containing about 10% polymer. The effect of reaction time was not studied and in some instances the reaction solutions were allowed to stand up to 8 days before the polymer was isolated. In general, reaction solutions from which the polymer precipitated did not yield high molecular weight products. It is of interest that a number of the polymers prepared in HMPA were not easily redissolved in this solvent once isolated. Some degradation was encountered when temperatures near 150OC. were used+,o redissolve samples for inherent 617