A novel highly effective low temperature route to synthesis of perinone type compounds, namely pyrroloperimidines, based on catalytic cyclization reaction of amic acids was developed. According to this route a series of perinones with polymerizable double carbon-carbon bond were synthesized and their free radical copolymerizations with styrene and methyl methacrylate were investigated. It was shown that incorporation of the perinones into polymer chains occurs by homolytic cleavage of the carbon-carbon pi-bond, and less conjugated structures, where this bond was more distanced from perimidine system, demonstrated higher activity in the radical polymerizations. The incorporation was complicated by limited solubility and chain transfer properties of the perinones, however, fluorescent colored copolymers of high molecular weights were obtained. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.