Poly(2‐imidazolin‐5‐ones)—A new class of heterocyclic polymers

The reaction of bisazlactones (2-oxazolin-5-ones) with primary diamines containing additional secondary or tertiary amine functionality (e.g., diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, or N-methyliminobispropylamine) readily produces polyamides which serve as precursors to a new class of heterocyclic polymers. Thermal cyclodehydration takes place under relatively mild conditions (180–200°C) to produce water-soluble polymers containing the 2-imidazolin-5-one heterocycle. Model reactions have been studied to verify this mode of cyclization and confirm the proposed polymer structure.