TOWARDS PROCESSIBLE POLY(PYRROL-2-YLSQUARAINES)

In an attempt to produce a processible poly(pyrrol-2-ylsquaraine) by f orming a copolymer of poly(pyrrodl-2-ylsquaraine) with polymethylmetha crylate, two synthetic routes were utilised. The first included formin g the polysquaraine and then polymerising the attached methacrylate gr oups to form the desired product and the second proceeded via the pref ormed methacrylate polymer, containing N-alkylpyrrole side chains, whi ch was then condensed with squaric acid. Difficulties arose in the fir st route when the polysquaraine product was found to be insoluble, hen ce preventing any further polymerisation but partial solubility during the second procedure did allow bissquaraines to be formed and, as a c onsequence, the resultant product exhibited fluorescent properties. Ye t the desired processible poly(pyrrol-2-ylsquaraine) was not achieved.