Thermoplastic resin, method for manufacturing same, and optical lens

A thermoplastic resin comprising a structural unit represented by general formula (1):

• wherein:
• R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a monocyclic or polycyclic aryl group having 6 to 36 carbon atoms, a monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaryl group having 5 to 36 ring atoms where 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the ring atoms are selected from nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen while the other ring atoms are carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an aralkyl group having 7 to 17 carbon atoms;
• the monocyclic or polycyclic aryl group and the monocyclic or polycyclic heteroaryl group may be unsubstituted or have 1 or 2 Ra groups selected from the group consisting of CN, CH3, OCH3, O-phenyl, O-naphthyl, S-phenyl, S-naphthyl and halogen;
• with the proviso that both of R1 and R2 are not hydrogen;
• X represents an alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylene group having 5 to 12 carbon atoms or an arylene group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms;
• with the proviso that each of the alkylene group and the cycloalkylene group may be substituted to have a benzene ring;
• and
• a and b each independently represent an integer of 1 to 10.