Many high strength or electrically conductive polymers contain imide subunits, i.e., the
polyimides. One example is
Kapton where the repeat unit consists of two imide groups derived from aromatic tetracarboxylic acids. Another example of polyimides is the polyglutarimide typically made from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and ammonia or a primary amine by aminolysis and cyclization of the PMMA at high temperature and pressure, typically in an extruder. This technique is called reactive extrusion. A commercial polyglutarimide product based on the methylamine derivative of PMMA, called Kamax, was produced by the Rohm and Haas company. The toughness of these materials reflects the rigidity of the imide functional group. Interest in the bioactivity of imide-containing compounds was sparked by the early discovery of the high bioactivity of the
Cycloheximide as an inhibitor of protein biosynthesis in certain organisms.
Thalidomide, famous for its adverse effects, is one result of this research. A number of
fungicides and herbicides contain the imide functionality. Examples include
Captan, which is considered carcinogenic under some conditions, and
Procymidone. , a biochemical reagent;
phthalimide, an industrial chemical intermediate;
Captan, a controversial pesticide;
thalidomide, a drug that once caused many birth defects; a subunit of
Kapton, a high strength polymer used to make
space suits. In the 21st century new interest arose in thalidomide's immunomodulatory effects, leading to the class of immunomodulators known as
immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs). ==Preparation==