Photo-thermal properties of poly(4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxystyrene) bearing imino sulfonate units

Copolymers of 4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxystyrene (BOS) and 9-fluorenilideneimino p-styrenesulfonate (FISS) were synthesized. FISS units in copolymers became p-styrenesulfonic acid units upon ultraviolet irradiation. The irradiated copolymers thermally decomposed to poly(hydroxystyrene) by liberating tert-butoxycarbonyl (BOC) units at temperatures where the unirradiated copolymers were stable. The thermal decomposition of the copolymers catalyzed by sulfonic acid formed photochemically was studied by thermogravimetry. The pseudo first-order rate constant (k) and the activation energy for the acid catalyzed thermal decomposition of BOC units in copolymers were evaluated. The thermolysis of the irradiated copolymer system was compared with that of the irradiated blended system of poly(4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxystyrene) (PBOCST) and 9-fluorenilideneimino p-toluene-sulfonate (FITS). © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.