Abstract
2‐(4‐Benzoylphenyl)‐2‐phenyl propane (4) was prepared by benzoylation of 2,2‐diphenylpropane (2). Acylation of (4) with 3‐chloropropanoic chloride gave 2‐(4‐benzoylphenyl)‐2‐(4‐propenoylphenyl)propane (5). A monomer 2‐(4‐benzoylphenyl)‐2‐(4‐propenoylphenyl)propane (6) was prepared through dehydrochlorination of (5). The homopolymer of 6 (P6) and the copolymer with styrene (P6 / S) were prepared by radical polymerization. Laser flash photolysis was employed to determine the absorption and emission spectra of transients, their lifetimes (τ) and the rate constant (k~q~) of triplet quenching in benzene at laboratory temperature for 4, P6, and P6 / S. P6 exhibits a transient absorption maximum in a different spectral region than do the model 4 and copolymer P6/S. The products of k~q~ and τ determined by laser flash photolysis for these transients are higher than th Stern–Volmer constants based on inhibition of degradation. Degradation leading to formation of quenchers is the likely cause of this difference although crosslinking may also contribute. Irradiation of polymers (P6 and P6/S) at 366 nm leads to main chain scission with aquantum yield of 0.13 under N~2~ for P6 and 0.03 for P6/S. In this bichromophoric structural unit, the benzophenone residue absorbs about 80–90% of the incident energy. Its triplet energy is about 5 kJ mol^−1^ lower than that of the 1‐(4‐alkylphenyl)‐2‐propene‐1‐one chromophore. Different possible pathways of degradation are discussed namely the Norrish Type II reaction of the alkyl aryl ketone and direct reaction of triplet benzophenone with the main chain. In the mechanism favored the benzophenone triplet is proposed to be in equilibrium with the upper acetophenone‐like chromophore from which the Norrish Type II reaction leading to chain fragmentation takes place.