Two new ketone-type derivatives were synthesized by the dehydrodecarboxylation of levopimaric acid acrylic acid adduct and of levopimaric acid maleic anhydride adduct in the presence of sulfonic catalysts. The two compounds were also synthesized by coupling of acrylic acid or maleic anhydride with dipimaryl ketone. These ketones, or rather ketone-diacids, were condensed with polyalkylenepolyamines to give poly(amide)s or poly(imide)s with good thermal properties. New crosslinked polymers were obtained when these poly(amide)s or poly(imide)s were substituted with epichlorohydrin. The structures of the resulted ketone-diacids and polymers were investigated by the usual physical and chemical methods. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.