Anionic polymerizations initiated with an alkylene bridged dihydroanthracene dimer as a bifunctional initiator are described as a synthetic route to polymers containing the dianthryl species in the center of the macromolecular chain. The approach taken herein involves the twofold deprotonation of 1,3-di-(9,9'10,10'-tetrahydro-9,9'-anthryl)propane and the initiation of methyl methacrylate polymerization at both anionic sites. The synthesis of ABA block copolymers by addition of tert-butyl acrylate as a second monomer is described. Polymer analogous aromatization of the initiator generates the corresponding polymer with two anthracene units in the main chain. The synthezised homo- and block copolymers have been fully characterized by GPC, UV and NMR measurements.

Anionic polymerizations with an anthracene-derived initiator are described as giving rise to polymers containing only one chromophore on each chain. The approach taken herein involves the deprotonation of dihydroanthracene (1) and the initiation of methyl methacrylate, vinylpyridine and styrene polymerization by the corresponding monohydromonoanion 2. Polymer-analogous aromatization of the initiator generates a polymer end-capped with an anthracene chromophore. Anthracene-containing initiators are used also in the ring-opening cationic polymerization of 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline (3). The anthracene-labelled polymers poly(methyl methacrylate) (4a), polyvinylpyridine (5a), polystyrene (6a) and polyphenyloxazoline (7) are examined by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), ultraviolet (UV) and NMR measurements. The coupling of two anthracene-labelled polymers via the [4pi + 4pi] cycloaddition between the terminal anthracene moieties is described.

A new polycondensation method to connect redox-active and chromophoric subunits by forming a C-C bond and leading to a polyhydrocarbon is described. 1,omega-bis(9,10-Dihydro-9-anthry)alkanes with various alkylene spacers can be deprotonated by butyllithium to afford a monoanion in each dihydroanthracene moiety. Alkylation with dielectrophiles such as dibromoalkanes yields soluble polymers with dihydroanthracene units in the main chain. The reaction proceeds regioselectively in the 9,10-position. Aromatization generates a polymer with anthracene units. The molecular weights are determined by GPC UP to M(n)BAR = 10 000. To prove the structure and to calibrate the GPC, suitable model compounds were synthesized.

The synthesis of polymers tailored for a specific redox- and photoactivity is described.The title compounds can generally be depicted as consisting of electrophoric or chromophoric building blocks which are linked by variable bridging groups.Their properties depend on the nature of both units in the polymer chain. The bridging group between the electrophoric units can be saturated or conjugated and can be incorporated directly upon polymer formation. However, in other polymers such bridging groups are already present, which allow one to switch between an unsaturated and saturated linking.With the "reductive polymerization", a new method to link e.g. anthracene and isopyrene units is proposed. A Heck-type reaction and the boronic acid coupling according to Suzuki are used for generating conjugated polymers.In the case of polymers containing 2,2'-distyrylbiphenyl units it is possible to interrupt pi-conjugation via electron-transfer or UV-irradiation. With a thermal ring-opening reaction of cyclobutene units, a method is shown to create conjugation between pi-systems. By hydrogen elimination in a polymethide structure highly conjugated polymers can be created.