POLYMERS FROM COUMARINS .2. DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL MAIN-CHAIN AND SIDE-CHAIN COUMARIN-CONTAINING POLYMERS

Two novel coumarin-containing monomers, 3,3'-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)-6,6'- bicoumarin (3) and 7-[(2-norbornenyl)methoxy]coumarin (7), were prepar ed and characterized. They give polymers with (M) over bar(w) up to 35 0000 and are soluble in common organic solvents. Polymers were prepare d by high temperature transesterification reaction (poly-3) and metath esis polymerization (poly-7). Poly-10 was prepared by direct activated polyamidation of 6-aminocoumarin-3-carboxylic acid (10). All polymers are amorphous with glass transition T-g of 121 and 64 degrees C for p oly-3 and poly-7, respectively. High optical quality films can be prep ared by solution casting, and in the case of poly-3 fibers can be draw n from the melt. All polymers show strong photoemission in the region from violet (poly-7) to blue-green (poly-10) (410-510 nm). An electrol uminescent device was fabricated from poly-3 with turn-on voltage of 4 V.