One new and three already described azobased methacrylate monomers with methoxy and nitro end groups and spacer length 2 and 6 were synthesized. These monomers were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate and the monomers as well as copolymers were characterized by classical spectroscopy techniques (FTIR, NMR, and UV-VIS), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), elemental analysis and thermal analysis (TGA and DSC). The glass transition temperature of the polymers was found to be above room temperature and thermal decomposition temperatures above 100 degrees C. All the polymers were amorphous in nature and formed excellent homogeneous films with good optical transparency. The polymer films coated on indium tin oxide glass slides were poled and their order parameters were calculated to check the stability of oriented dipoles. Few samples were also studied for their second harmonic generation properties. Temporal stability, checked up to 120 h at room temperature, was found to be quite satisfactory. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.