A pyromellitic dianhydride (benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic dianhydride) was reacted with L-isoleucine in acetic acid, and the resulting imide acid [NN'-(pyromel-litoyl)-bis-L-isoleucine] (4) was obtained in a high yield. 4 was converted into NN'-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L-isoleucine diacid chloride by a reaction with thionyl chloride. The polycondensation reaction of this diacid chloride with several aromatic diamines, including 1,4-phenylenediamine, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl methane, 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone (4,4'-sulfonyldianiline), 4,4'-diaminodiphenylether, 2,4-diaminotoluene, and 1,3-phenylenediamine, was developed with two methods. The first method was polymerization under microwave irradiation, and the second method was low-temperature solution polymerization, with trimethyl-silyl chloride used as an activating agent for the diamines. The polymerization reactions proceeded quickly and produced a series of optically active poly(amide imide)s with good yields and moderate inherent viscosities of 0.17-0.25 dL/g. All of the aforementioned polymers were fully characterized by IR, elemental analyses, and specific rotation. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these optically active poly(amide imide)s are reported. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.