Twelve novel polyisophthalamides containing short sequences of oxyethylene as pendent substituents were synthesized by the reaction of three aromatic diamine monomers and four novel diacid monomers containing pendent oxyethylene units. Two of the diacid monomers were derived from 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid and the other two diacid monomers were derived from 5-aminoisophthalic acid. The polymers were prepared in high yield and high molecular weight by the phosphorylation method of polycondensation. All of the polymers were soluble in organic aprotic solvents at room temperature and gave creasable films by casting from solution. The mechanical properties of the films were reasonably good, with tensile strengths in the range of 70-100 MPa and moduli around 2.5 GPa. However, the presence of the oxyethylene side sequences greatly diminished the thermal resistance and the glass transition temperatures of the present polymers compared with wholly aromatic polyisophthalamides. A study was also made on the effect of the chemical composition on water uptake. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.