Production of acetal derivatized hydroxyl aromatic polymers and their use in radiation sensitive formulations

A process for generating a mixture of acetal monomers comprising the steps of:

• providing a monomer containing one or more hydroxyl groups;
• reacting said monomer containing one or more hydroxyl groups with a vinyl ether of the formula R.sub.6 R.sub.7 C.dbd.CH--OR.sub.1 and an alcohol of the formula R.sub.2 OH in the presence of an acid catalyst;
• wherein R.sub.1 is a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group, a linear, branched or cyclic haloalkyl group, or an aralkyl group, or a substituted phenylmethylene having the general structure ##STR12## wherein each R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 are the same or independently a hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbons;
• R.sub.2 is a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group, a linear, branched or cyclic halogenated alkyl group, an aromatic group, or a substituted phenylmethylene having the general structure;
• ##STR13## wherein R.sub.9 and R.sub.10 are as defined above;
• R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are the same or independently a hydrogen, a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group, a linear, branched or cyclic haloalkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group a substituted haloaryl, alkoxyaryl or alkylaryl group, or a combination of R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 being able to form an alkylene chain, an alkyl substituted alkylene chain, or an oxyalkylene chain.