Polyimide (PI) with thiazolylazo side chain was prepared via a post azocoupling reaction scheme. The PI film could easily be obtained by spin coating and consequent imiclization from the precursor polymer, which was soluble in several polar organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-ketopyrrolidine and N,N-dimethylformarride. The polymer showed a reverse trans-cis photoisomerization when irradiated by the lights of 365 run and 440 nm. The glass-transition temperature (T,,) and temperature at 10% of weight loss under N-2 of the polymer are 138.9 degrees C and 510.6 degrees C, respectively, which confirm that the thermal stability of the polymer is quite good. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.