SYNTHESIS AND PHOTOREGULATED METAL COORDINATION OF AZOBENZENE POLYMER HAVING ION BINDING-SITES

Vinyl polymers having pendant 3,3'-substituted azobenzene were synthesized. Selective metal extracting ability was found in the photoisomerized polymers having bisiminodiacetic acid groups. The selectivity was large in the azobenzene with directly connected imino-groups rather than those having the methylene chain spacers between the rings and imino-groups. The metal coordination was not strong, so that the complexed cis-isomer thermally recovered to the trans one. The reversible transformation suggests possible applications for photoregulated macromolecular ionophores.