Fundamental studies of dissolution inhibition in poly(norbornene-alt-maleic anhydride) based resins

The dissolution inhibition mechanism for tert-butylcarboxylate (e.g. tert-butyl cholate) dissolution inhibitors and onium salt photoacid generators (PAG's) were examined in terpolymers of poly(norbornene-maleic anhydride-acrylic acid) (P(NB/MA/AA)). For tert-butyl carboxylates, increasing hydrophobicity increased the dissolution inhibition ability. Dissolution promotion tracked with the number of carboxylic acid moieties and the hydrophobicity of carboxylic acids moieties released upon acidolytic cleavage of the tert-butyl carboxylate. For onium salt PAG's, increasing the hydrophobicity and size of fluorinated anions decreased dissolution inhibition. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.