Fully acetylated cellulose triacetate (CTA) was hydrolyzed in the presence of hydronium ions in a solution of acetic acid and concentrated Sulfuric acid to give a hydroxyl-terminated cellulose triacetate oligomers (HCTA). By using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis, the molecular weight of the isolated oligomeric product was calculated to be 3748 Da. HCTA was converted to their new derivatives having 4-(4-nitrophenylazo)-1-naphthol (magneson II) as a chromophore. Then 4'-bromobutoxy-4-(4-nitrophenylazo) naphthalene was synthesized from the reaction of 4-(4-nitrophenylazo)-1-napthol with 1,4-dibromobutane. The synthesized alkylated chromophore was reacted with oligomeric cellulose and cellulose itself in the solution of dimethyl sulfoxide to produce cellulose ethers containing the desired chromophore. In the last step, the isolated compounds were used for the preparation of new polymers and oligomers, which contain both of dodecane and butoxy-4-(4-nitrophenylazo)naphthalene as the alkyl side chains in their backbone. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 110: 4034-4039, 2008