A photoactive polymer, which comprises identical or different repeating monomer units M, wherein one or more of the monomer units M are substituted with at least one side chain as shown in formula I:
- in which:
- P is a photoactive group which can photoisomerise and/or photodimerise;
- B represents an aromatic or alicyclic group which is unsubstituted or substituted by fluorine, chlorine or cyano, or by a cyclic, straight-chain or branched alkyl residue which is unsubstituted, mono-substituted by cyano or halogeno, or poly-substituted by halogeno, having 1 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein one or more CH2 groups may independently be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —Si(CH3)2—O—Si(CH3)2—, —NR2—, —NR2—CO—, —CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—O—, —O—CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—NR2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, or —O—CO—O—, with the proviso that oxygen atoms are not directly attached to each other, and wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom or lower alkyl, or B alternatively represents a nitrogen atom or —CR2—;
- A, C, D each independently of the other represents an aromatic or alicyclic group which is unsubstituted or substituted by fluorine, chlorine, or cyano, or by a cyclic, straight-chain or branched alkyl residue which is unsubstituted, mono-substituted by cyano or halogeno, or poly-substituted by halogeno, having 1 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein one or more CH2 groups may independently be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —Si(CH3)2—O—Si(CH3)2—, —NR2—, —NR2—CO—, —CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—O—, —O—CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—NR2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, or —O—CO—O—, with the proviso that oxygen atoms are not directly attached to each other, and wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom or lower alkyl;
- M represents a repeating monomer unit in a homo- or copolymer;
- S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 each independently represent a single covalent bond or a spacer unit, comprising a straight-chain or branched alkylene residue which is unsubstituted, mono-substituted by cyano or halogeno, or poly-substituted by halogeno, having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein one or more CH2 groups may independently be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —Si(CH3)2—O—Si(CH3)2—, —NR2—, —NR2—CO—, —CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—O—, —O—CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—NR2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, or —O—CO—O—, with the proviso that oxygen atoms are not directly attached to each other, and wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom or lower alkyl;
- n1, n2 are each independently 0, 1 or 2 with the proviso that n1+n2≦2;
- R1 is a hydrogen atom, or a straight-chain or branched alkyl residue which is unsubstituted, mono-substituted by cyano or halogeno, or poly-substituted by halogeno, having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein one or more CH2 groups may independently be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —Si(CH3)2—O—Si(CH3)2—, —NR2—, —NR2—CO—, —CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—O—, —O—CO—NR2—, —NR2—CO—NR2—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, or —O—CO—O—, with the proviso that oxygen atoms are not directly attached to each other, and wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom or lower alkyl.