PHOTOSENSITIVE POLYMERS - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND PHOTO-CROSS-LINKING PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS WITH PENDANT ALPHA,BETA-UNSATURATED KETONE MOIETY

Acrylate and methacrylate monomers with the photodimerizable a,p-unsat urated ketone moiety, such as 4-cinnamoylphenyl, 4-(4-methoxycinnamoyl )phenyl, 4-(4-nitrocinnamoyl)phenyl, or 4-(4-chlorocinnamoyl)phenyl, w ere prepared and homopolymerized using benzoyl peroxide as the initiat or at 70 degrees C in methyl ethyl ketone. The poly(meth)acrylates wer e characterized by ultraviolet, infrared, H-1-nuclear magnetic resonan ce (NMR), and C-13-NMR spectra, and gel permeation chromatography. The ir thermal properties were studied by thermogravimetric analyses in ai r and nitrogen, and differential scanning calorimetry. The photocrossl inking properties of the polymers were investigated as thin films and in solution in the presence and absence of sensitizer. (C) 1998 John W iley & Sons, Inc.