N,N-Substituted 2,4,5-triketoimidazolidines and a process for their preparation

A process for the preparation of a monomer compound containing a structural unit of the formula ##STR58## wherein one of Q and Q' are independently a urethane or an isocyanate group, the group NH--CO--OR.sup.IV or hydrogen and the other --NH--CO--COOR.sup.V or hydrogen, wherein R.sup.IV and R.sup.V are aliphatic hydrocarbon groups with up to 18 carbon atoms, cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon groups with up to 8 carbon atoms, mononuclear aromatic groups of 6 carbon atoms or such mononuclear aromatic groups of 6 carbon atoms substituted with hydrocarbon groups having up to 14 carbon atoms;

• R is a radical selected from phenyl, naphthyl, benzeneazophenyl, anthraquinolyl, pyridyl, quinolyl, cycloaliphatic group that are unsubstituted or substituted with one or more groups selected from nitro, cyano, halo, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower diethylamino alkyl ester, cycloalkyl, alkylsulphonyl and haloalkyl,
• R'" is a group as defined for R and additionally phenyl, naphthyl, phenylene, naphthylene, each of which can be substituted with alkyl, haloalkyl with up to 5 halogen atoms, trifluoromethyl, acyl such as acetyl or nitro groups comprising reacting at least one oxamidic acid ester as defined with a monoisocyanate or an isocyanate forming compound
• (A) at a temperature of -20.degree. to 280.degree. C. at a molar ratio selected from the group consisting of
• (a) monoisocyanate to a monooxamidic ester being 1:1 to 2:1,
• (b) monoisocyanate to bis-oxamidic ester being 2:1,
• (c) diisocyanate to a monooxamidic ester being 1:1 and
• (B) at a temperature of -20.degree. to 150.degree. C. at a molar ratio of
• (d) diisocyanate to bis-oxamidic ester being 1:1 to 2:1
• both embodiments (A) and (B) are performed in the presence or absence of a catalyst.