A new triphenylamine-containing aromatic diamine, N,N'-bis(4-aminophenyl)-N,N'-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine, was prepared by the condensation of N,N'-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine with 4-fluoronitrobenzene, followed by catalytic reduction. A series of novel aromatic polyamides with triphenylamine units were prepared from the diamine and various aromatic dicarboxylic acids or their diacid chlorides via the direct phosphorylation polycondensation or low-temperature solution polycondensation. All the polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble in many organic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. These polymers could be solution cast into transparent, tough, and flexible films with good mechanical properties. They had useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high glass-transition temperatures (257-287degreesC), 10% weight-loss temperatures in excess of 550degreesC, and char yields at 800degreesC in nitrogen higher than 72%. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.