TETRACARBOXYLIC BISIMIDE-LACTAM RING CONTRACTION - A ROUTE TO LACTAMIMIDE-CONTAINING POLYMERS

First lactamimide monomers were synthesised by the bisimide-lactam rin g contraction and polymerised by the high-temperature transesterificat ion in the melt to give lactamimide-containing polymers. The polymers were amorphous with good film-forming properties, soluble in common or ganic solvents, and showed from low to medium molecular weight. Lactam imide-containing polymers bearing aliphatic spacers showed strong fluo rescence with large Stokes shift (140-150 nm) peaking at 580-585 nm wh ile those with phenyl groups on nitrogen atoms presented very weak flu orescence probably resulting from loose-bolt quenching, peaking at 610 -615 nm. The polymers showed third-order non-linear optical susceptibi lity in the range of 10(-10)-10(-11) e.s.u. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.