OPTICALLY-ACTIVE POLYMERS BEARING SIDE-CHAIN PHOTOCHROMIC MOIETIES - SYNTHESIS AND CHIROPTICAL PROPERTIES OF METHACRYLIC AND ACRYLIC HOMOPOLYMERS WITH PENDANT L-LACTIC ACID OR L-ALANINE RESIDUES CONNECTED TO TRANS-4-AMINOAZOBENZENE

Novel optically active monomers such as )-4-(2-methacryloylaminopropan oylamino)azobenzene, (S)-4-(2-methacryloyloxypropanoylamino)azobenzene , and ns-(S)-4-(2-acryloylaminopropanoylamino)azobenzene have been pre pared and homopolymerized by free radical initiation. Circular dichroi sm spectra of the resulting polymeric systems, as compared with those obtained for the corresponding low molecular weight analogues, purpose ly synthesized, allow one to suggest that the macromolecules assume in solution conformations with different homogeneity and prevailing chir ality, depending on their structural requirements and solvent interact ions.