BRAINCAKEPolyamides
A polyamide is a condensation polymer in which the repeating units are joined by amide links, -CONH-. The same link joins amino acids in proteins, where it is called a peptide link.
Polyamides can be made in two ways:
• from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine: the -COOH of one monomer reacts with the -NH2 of the other, losing H2O
• from a dioyl dichloride and a diamine: -COCl reacts with -NH2, losing HCl. This reaction is faster and happens at room temperature.
A single monomer with an amine group at one end and a carboxylic acid group at the other, such as an amino acid, can also polymerise on its own to give a polyamide.
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All 8 lessons in Condensation Polymers · All AQA A-level Chemistry topics