Synthesis and characterization of optically active polymers containing azo groups and (l)-α-amino acid moieties

The paper discusses the synthesis of new optically active azo diacids starting from two activated azo diesters (diethyl azodicarboxylate and ethyl phenylazocarboxylate) and various (l)-α-amino acids as: (l)-alanine, (l)-leucine, (l)-cysteic acid monohydrate and (l)-cystine. New chiral polymers derived from some of synthesized monomers were obtained under mild reaction conditions by unconventional polycondensation methods. The structure of synthesized compounds has been spectroscopically confirmed and the solubility, optical activity and thermal properties of the obtained materials are reported. To estimate the molecular weights of new polymers the 1H-NMR and viscometric data were used and obtained values were compared with those of the polymers with alike chain structure synthesized by similar procedures.