Self-polymerization of Meldrum's acid-amine compounds: an effective route to polyamides

Development of facile polymerization routes and new monomers is attractive for the development of polymer chemistry and materials. This study integrates the dual concepts in one work. Design and synthesis of Meldrum's acid (MA)-amine compounds as monomers and their corresponding self-polymerization based on ketene-mediated chemistry have been reported. An effective synthetic route to polyamides under a melt process in 20 minutes is demonstrated. Self-polymerization of the MA-amine compounds results in both linear and hyperbranched polyamides with high molecular weights, good film formability, and high mechanical strength. Flexible polyamide films prepared through a solution casting method show a high tensile strength of 122 MPa and an elongation at break of 6.7%. The designed monomers and synthetic route open a new window to both polymer chemistry and high-performance polymer materials.