SYNTHESIS AND MATRIX-ASSISTED LASER-DESORPTION IONIZATION TIME-OF-FLIGHT CHARACTERIZATION OF AN EXACTLY ALTERNATING COPOLYCARBONATE AND 2 RANDOM COPOLYETHERS CONTAINING SCHIFF-BASE COPPER(II) COMPLEX NONLINEAR-OPTICAL UNITS IN THE MAIN-CHAIN

Copolymers containing second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) active tran sition metal complexes into the main chain were synthesized and charac terized by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), TG, and DSC analyses for the first t ime. The Cu(II) complex Ia of the bis(2,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)-1,2-ph enylenediamine ligand was synthesized and used as the NLO unit. The po lycondensation between the copper(II) complex Ia (NLO unit) and butane diol bischloroformate was performed to obtain the exactly alternating copolycarbonate II. Two copolyethers, III ana IV, containing different amounts of NLO units in the main chain (10% and 47%, respectively), w ere obtained by reaction of dibromomethane and suitable mixtures of th e Cu(II) diimine complex Ia and bisphenol A in different molar ratios. The resulting copolymers II-IV were characterized by MALDI-TOF MS. Th e structure of low molecular weight oligomers contained in each polyme ric sample inferred by MALDI spectra was found diagnostic of their com position and microstructure. Copolymers II-TV exhibit very good therma l stability and are promising candidates for second-order NLO material s.