Preparation and properties of new photo‐functional polymers, 1. N‐substituted maleimide/styrene copolymers containing pendant para‐nitrobenzyl groups

Abstract A new photo‐functional copolymer was designed by etherification or esterification of poly‐[ N ‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)maleimide‐ co ‐styrene] or poly[ N ‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)maleimide‐ co ‐styrene] with p ‐bromomethylnitrobenzene using 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]‐undec‐7‐ene (DBU) as the base in an aprotic solvent. The chain‐stiffening effect of the N ‐substituted maleimide group provided good thermal stability. It was observed that the photosensitivity of the copolymer is enhanced by the addition of a base like tributylamine.