A novel aromatic dicarboxylic acid monomer, 5-[4-(3-acetoxynaphthoylamino)benzoylamino]isophthalic acid, was prepared in five steps. The direct polycondensation of this dicarboxylic acid with several aromatic diamines was performed under microwave irradiation and conventional heating in the presence of triphenyl phosphite/pyridine/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone/calcium chloride. The polymerization reactions were effectively preceded, and the resulting novel photoactive polyamides (PAs) were obtained in high yields and moderate inherent viscosities in the range of 0.32–0.58 dL g−1. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that polymers were thermally stable, 10% weight loss temperatures were in excess of 430°C and 488°C, and char yields at 800°C under nitrogen atmosphere were higher than 62%. The resulting polymers exhibited ultraviolet–visible absorption bands at 268 and 312 nm in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Their photoluminescence in DMF solution demonstrated fluorescence emission bands maxima around 367 and 429 nm for all of the PAs.
