A diamine monomer o-phenylenedioxybis(5-amino-2-pyridine) was synthesized via reduction of a dinitro compound o-phenylenedioxybis(5-nitro-2-pyridine), producing a series of new polyimides from this diamine and various commercially available aromatic dianhydrides via conventional two-stage processes. The resulting polyimides are able to form tough and transparent films, with decomposition temperatures in the range of 529–551 °C, and can be dissolved in organic polar solvents. Meanwhile, these polyimides can be degraded in a hydrazine hydrate medium, a degradation mechanism proposed by analyzing the degradation products suggests that the degradable properties could be attributed to the phenyl-2-pyridyl ether structure in the polymer. In addition, the transformation of the compound structure from dinitro compound to damine monomer in the synthetic process is discussed in respect to X-ray structure. A diamine monomer o-phenylenedioxybis (5-amino-2-pyridine) was synthesized via reduction of a dinitro compound o-phenylenedioxybis (5-nitro- 2-pyridine), a series of new polyimides from this diamine and various commercially available aromatic The resulting polyimides are able to form tough and transparent films, with decomposition temperatures in the range of 529-551 ° C, and can be dissolved in organic polar solvents. Meanwhile, these polyimides can be degraded in a hydrazine hydrate medium, a degradation mechanism proposed by analyzing the degradation products suggests that the degradable properties could be attributed to the phenyl-2-pyridyl ether structure in the polymer. In addition, the transformation of the compound structure from dinitro compound to damine monomer in the synthetic process is discussed in respect to X-ray structure.