The present invention provides a polymer compound for a conductive polymer comprising one or more repeating units a shown by the formula (1), and having a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000. There can be provided a polymer compound for a conductive polymer having a specific superacidic sulfo group which is soluble in an organic solvent, and suitably used for a fuel cell or a dopant for a conductive material.

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 represents any of a single bond, an ester group, and a linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, the hydrocarbon group optionally containing an ether group, an ester group, or both; Z represents any of a single bond, a phenylene group, a naphthylene group, an ether group, and an ester group; and a is a number satisfying 0<a1.0.

A polymer compound for a conductive polymer including one or more repeating units a shown by the following general formula (1), and having a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 represents any of a single bond, an ester group, and a linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally containing either or both of an ether group and an ester group; R.sup.3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms with one or more hydrogen atoms in R.sup.3 being substituted by a fluorine atom(s); Z represents any of a single bond, a phenylene group, a naphthylene group, an ether group, and an ester group; and a is a number satisfying 0<a1.0.

A polymer compound for a conductive polymer including one or more repeating units a shown by the following general formula (1), and having a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R.sup.2 represents any of a single bond, an ester group, and a linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally containing either or both of an ether group and an ester group; R.sup.3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms with one or more hydrogen atoms in R.sup.3 being substituted by a fluorine atom(s); Z represents any of a single bond, a phenylene group, a naphthylene group, an ether group, and an ester group; and a is a number satisfying 0<a1.0.

The subject matter described herein is directed to methods of preparing linear and brush polymers with functional backbones and the polymers prepared therefrom. The methods are termed RAFT step-growth polymerizations and can prepare unique polymers by using a step-growth mechanism to insert multiple functionalities into the polymer backbone. The methods include facile syntheses to obtain tunable polymers, including a two-step process to obtain tunable bottlebrush polymers.

The subject matter described herein is directed to methods of preparing linear and brush polymers with functional backbones and the polymers prepared therefrom. The methods are termed RAFT step-growth polymerizations and can prepare unique polymers by using a step-growth mechanism to insert multiple functionalities into the polymer backbone. The methods include facile syntheses to obtain tunable polymers, including a two-step process to obtain tunable bottlebrush polymers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a monomer which can provide a cured product having both high toughness and rigidity. The present invention is a (meth)acrylate (D) which is a reaction product of a thiol compound (A) having two or more mercapto groups; an iso(thio)cyanate compound (B) having two or more iso(thio)cyanato groups; and a hydroxy (meth)acrylate compound (C) having one or more polymerizable groups.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a monomer which can provide a cured product having both high toughness and rigidity. The present invention is a (meth)acrylate (D) which is a reaction product of a thiol compound (A) having two or more mercapto groups; an iso(thio)cyanate compound (B) having two or more iso(thio)cyanato groups; and a hydroxy (meth)acrylate compound (C) having one or more polymerizable groups.