Patent ID: 7666962

Claim:
A polymer of the Formula wherein: Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylthio, optionally substituted alkoxycarbonyl or optionally substituted aryloxycarbonyl (—COOR″), carboxy (—COOH), optionally substituted acyloxy (—O 2 CR″), optionally substituted carbamoyl (—CON R″ 2 ), cyano (—CN), dialkyl- or diaryl- phosphonato [—P(═O)(OR″) 2 ], dialkyl- or diaryl-phosphinato [—P(═O)R″ 2 ], and a polymer chain formed by any mechanism; Z′ is a m-valent moiety derived from a member of the group consisting of optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and a polymer chain; where the connecting moieties are selected from the group that consists of aliphatic carbon, aromatic carbon, and sulfur; Q is selected from the group consisting of repeating unit and repeating units from maleic anhydride, N-alkylmaleimide, N-arylmaleimide, dialkyl fumarate and cyclopolymerizable monomers; U is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, optionally substituted C 1 -C 4 alkyl, wherein the substituents are independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy (OR″), carboxy, acyloxy, aroyloxy (O 2 CR″), alkoxy-carbonyl and aryloxy-carbonyl (CO 2 R″); V is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, R″, CO 2 H, CO 2 R″, COR″, CN, CONH 2 , CONHR″, CONR″ 2 , O 2 CR″, OR″ and halogen; R is selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted alkyl; an optionally substituted saturated, unsaturated or aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; optionally substituted alkylthio; optionally substituted alkoxy; optionally substituted dialkylamino; an organometallic species; and a polymer chain prepared by any polymerization mechanism; R● being derived from a free radical leaving group that initiates free radical polymerization; R″ is selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 2 -C 18 alkenyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, aralkyl, alkaryl wherein the substituents are independently selected from the group that consists of epoxy, hydroxy, alkoxy, acyl, acyloxy, carboxy and carboxylates, sulfonic acid and sulfonates, alkoxy- or aryloxy- carbonyl, isocyanato, cyano, silyl, halo, and dialkylamino; q is 1 or an integer greater than 1; p is 1 or an integer greater than 1; when p≧2, then R═R′; m is an integer ≧2; and R′ is a p-valent moiety derived from a member of the group consisting of optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and a polymer chain; where the connecting moieties are selected from the group consisting of aliphatic carbon, aromatic carbon, silicon, and sulfur; R′● being derived from a free radical leaving group that initiates free radical polymerization.