Preparation and photolysis of poly-p-ethylacrylophenone and poly-p-chloroacrylophenone and their copolymers with styrene and methyl methacrylate

Poly-p-ethylacrylophenone (PPEtAP) and poly-p-chloroacrylophenone (PPClAP) and their copolymers with styrene (PEtAP/S) and (PClAP/S) and with methyl methacrylate (PEtAP/MMA) and (PClAP/MMA) were prepared. Quantum yields of main-chain scissions at 366 nm at room temperature in benzene solution are of the same order as those of the unsubstituted polyacrylophenone and its copolymers. Substitution with chlorine and ethyl group in the para position compared to the unsubstituted polyacrylophenone and its copolymers leads to an increase of the lifetime for the n–π^* excited triplet state, as is evident from the measured quenching constants of photolysis. The low-temperature emission spectra of the copolymers are similar to the spectra of the model compounds in a polymer film. For the homopolymer, however, the character of the emission spectrum changes considerably.