Cross-linkable, photoactive polymer materials

A homopolymer of units of the formula ##STR37## wherein M.sup.1 is a monomer unit selected from the group consisting of acrylate, methacrylate, 2-chloroacrylate, 2-phenylacrylate, acrylamide, methacrylamide, 2-chloroacrylamide, 2-phenylacrylamide, N-lower alkyl substituted acrylamide, N-lower alkyl substituted 2-chloroacrylamide, N-lower alkyl substituted 2-phenylacrylamide, vinyl ether, vinyl ester, a styrene derivative comprising a vinylphenyl ether or vinylbenzyl ether and siloxane;

• S.sup.1 is a spacer unit;
• ring A is unsubstituted phenylene, phenylene which is substituted with fluorine, chlorine, cyano, alkyl or alkoxy, pyridine-2,5-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, cyclohexane-1,4-diyl, piperidine-1,4-diyl, or piperazine-1,4-diyl;
• ring B is unsubstituted phenylene, phenylene which is substituted with fluorine, chlorine, cyano, alkyl or alkoxy, pyridine-2,5-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, 1,4-napthylene, 2,6-naphthylene, 1,3-dioxane-2,5-diyl, or cyclohexane-1,4-diyl;
• Y.sup.1, Y.sup.2 each independently is a single covalent bond, --(CH.sub.2).sub.t --, --O--, --CO--, --CO--O--, --NR.sup.4 --, --CO--NR.sup.4 --, --R.sup.4 N--CO--, --(CH.sub.2).sub.u --O--, --O--(CH.sub.2).sub.u --, --(CH.sub.2).sub.u --NR.sup.4 --, or --NR.sup.4 --(CH.sub.2).sub.u --, in which
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• t is a whole number from 1 to 4;
• u is a whole number from 1 to 3;
• m, n each independently is 0 or 1;
• ring C is unsubstituted phenylene, phenylene which is substituted with fluorine, chlorine, cyano, alkyl or alkoxy, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, pyridine-2,5-diyl, 2,5-thiophenylene, 2,5-furanylene, 1,4-naphthlene, or 2,6-napthylene;
• Z is --O-- or NR.sup.5 --, in which R.sup.5 is hydrogen or lower alkyl, or a second group of formula D, in which
• D is an unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 straight-chain alkyl group, an unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 branched-chain alkylene group, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 straight-chain alkylene group substituted with fluorine or chlorine, a branched-chain C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkylene group substituted with fluorine or chlorine, an unsubstituted cycloalkyl residue with 3 to 8 ring atoms, or a cycloalkyl residue with 3 to 8 ring atoms substituted with fluorine, chlorine, alkyl or alkoxy.