OPTICALLY-ACTIVE POLYMERS CONTAINING SIDE-CHAIN AZOBENZENE MOIETIES -PHOTOCHROMIC AND PHOTORESPONSIVE BEHAVIOR OF COPOLYMERS OF N-(4-AZOBENZENE)MALEIMIDE WITH (-)-MENTHYL VINYL ETHER AND (-2-METHYLBUTYL VINYLETHER()(S))

Photochromic behavior and photoisomerization kinetics of optically act ive copolymers of trans-N-(4-azobenzene) maleimide (ABM) with (-)-ment hyl vinyl ether (MtVE) and (+)(S) -2-methylbutyl vinyl ether were stud ied by UV spectroscopy under irradiation at 348 nm. The resulting data have been compared with those of the corresponding copolymers contain ing also trans-N-( 4-azobenzene) maleamic acid co-units as well as of low molecular weight model compounds. The photoresponsive behavior has been also investigated by circular dichroism measurements at various extents of photoisomerization. The results are discussed in terms of s tructural requirements of the macromolecules. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.