Synthesis and characterization of perfluorinated acrylate–methyl methacrylate copolymers

A novel perfluorinated acrylic monomer 3,5‐bis(perfluorobenzyloxy)benzyl acrylate (FM) with perfluorinated aromatic units was synthesized with 3,5‐bis(perfluorobenzyl)oxybenzyl alcohol, acryloyl chloride, and triethylamine. Copolymers of FM monomer with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared via free‐radical polymerization at 80°C in toluene with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator. The obtained copolymers were characterized by ¹H‐NMR and gel permeation chromatography. The monomer reactivity ratios for the monomer pair were calculated with the extended Kelen–Tüdos method. The reactivity ratios were found to be r₁ = 0.38 for FM, r₂ = 1.11 for MMA, and r₁r₂ < 1 for the pair FM–MMA. This shows that the system proceeded as random copolymerization. The thermal behavior of the copolymers was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The copolymers had only one glass‐transition temperature, which changed from 46 to 78°C depending on the copolymer composition. Melting endotherms were not observed in the DSC traces; this indicated that all of the copolymers were completely amorphous. Copolymer films were prepared by spin coating, and contact angle measurements of water and ethylene glycol on the films indicated a high degree of hydrophobicity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Free Radical Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate and Styrene with N-(4-Carboxyphenyl)maleimide

The free radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) or styrene (St) with N-(4-carboxyphenyl)maleimide (CPMI) was carried with AIBN as an initiator in THF solvent at 80°C. A series of copolymers of MMA and St with CPMI were prepared using different feed ratios of comonomers. The values of monomer reactivity ratios (r₁, r₂) determined by Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods are 0.26 and 2.51 in the CPMI/MMA system and 0.08 and 0.22 in the CPMI/St system. Alfrey–Price Q-e values for CPMI were calculated as Q = 1.05 and e = 0.41 in the CPMI/MMA system and Q = 1.21 and e = 0.91 in the CPMI/St system. The polymer samples have been characterized by solubility tests, intrinsic viscosity measurements, FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectral analysis, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. It was found that the initial and final decomposition temperatures increased with increasing the amount of CPMI in the copolymer. The integral procedural decomposition temperature and energy of activation of thermal degradation have also been reported.     

Preparation of poly(styrene‐co‐isobornyl methacrylate) beads having controlled glass transition temperature by suspension polymerization

The styrene (St) and isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA) random copolymer beads with controlled glass transition temperature (T_g), in the range of 105–158°C, were successfully prepared by suspension polymerization. The influence of the ratios of IBMA in monomer feeds on the copolymerization yields, the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the produced copolymers, the copolymer compositions and the T_gs of these copolymers was investigated systematically. The monomer reactivity ratios were r₁ (St) = 0.57 and r₂ (IBMA) = 0.20 with benzyl peroxide as initiator at 90°C, respectively. As the mass fraction of IBMA in monomer feeds was about 40 wt %, it was observed that the monomer conversion could be up to 90 wt %. The fractions of IBMA unit in copolymers were in the range of 35–40 wt % and T_gs of the corresponding copolymers were in the range of 119.6–128°C while the monomer conversion increased from 0 to greater than 90 wt %. In addition, the effects of other factors, such as the dispersants, polymerization time and the initiator concentration on the copolymerization were also discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Reactivity ratios and copolymer properties of 2‐(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate with methyl methacrylate and styrene

Free radical copolymerization kinetics of 2‐(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DPA) with styrene (ST) or methyl methacrylate (MMA) was investigated and the corresponding copolymers obtained were characterized. Polymerization was performed using tert‐butylperoxy‐2‐ethylhexanoate (0.01 mol dm^?3) as initiator, isothermally (70 °C) to low conversions (<10 wt%) in a wide range of copolymer compositions (10 mol% steps). The reactivity ratios of the monomers were calculated using linear Kelen–Tüd?s (KT) and nonlinear Tidwell–Mortimer (TM) methods. The reactivity ratios for MMA/DPA were found to be r₁ = 0.99 and r₂ = 1.00 (KT), r₁ = 0.99 and r₂ = 1.03 (TM); for the ST/DPA system r₁ = 2.74, r₂ = 0.54 (KT) and r₁ = 2.48, r₂ = 0.49 (TM). It can be concluded that copolymerization of MMA with DPA is ideal while copolymerization of ST with DPA has a small but noticeable tendency for block copolymer building. The probabilities for formations of dyad and triad monomer sequences dependent on monomer compositions were calculated from the obtained reactivity ratios. The molar mass distribution, thermal stability and glass transition temperatures of synthesized copolymers were determined. Hydrophobicity of copolymers depending on the composition was determined using contact angle measurements, decreasing from hydrophobic polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) to hydrophilic DPA. Copolymerization reactivity ratios are crucial for the control of copolymer structural properties and conversion heterogeneity that greatly influence the applications of copolymers as rheology modifiers of lubricating oils or in drug delivery systems. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

Macromers by carbocationic polymerization

Summary The reactivity ratio of -(p-vinylphenyl) polyisobutylene (p-polyisobutenylstyrene, PIB-St) macromers in copolymerization with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) has been examined at various conversions in various solvents and with three macromer chain lengths. Examination of copolymerization reactivity ratios in PIB-St/MMA and PIB-St/St systems indicate that the reactivity of PIB-St with respect to MMA and St comonomers in various solvents is the same as that of styrene. Larger than expected small-comonomer reactivity ratios (r₂) obtained at high conversions and high macromer molecular weights have been attributed to the onset of microphase separation during copolymerization.     

Kinetic study of atom transfer radical homo- and copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate initiated with trichloromethyl-terminated poly(vinyl acetate) macroinitiator

Atom transfer radical bulk copolymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was performed in the presence of CuCl/PMDETA as a catalyst system and trichloromethyl-terminated poly(vinyl acetate) telomer as a macroinitiator at 90 °C. The overall monomer conversion was followed gravimetrically and the cumulative average copolymer composition at moderate to high conversion was determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Reactivity ratios of St and MMA were calculated by the extended Kelen–Tudos (KT) and Mao–Huglin (MH) methods to be r_St = 0.605 ± 0.058, r_MMA = 0.429 ± 0.042 and r_St = 0.602 ± 0.043, r_MMA = 0.430 ± 0.032, respectively, which are in good agreement with those reported for the conventional free-radical copolymerization of St and MMA. The 95% joint confidence limit was used to evaluate accuracy of the estimated reactivity ratios. Results showed that in the controlled/living radical polymerization systems such as ATRP, more reliable reactivity ratios are obtained when copolymer composition at moderate to high conversion is used. Good agreement between the theoretical and experimental composition drifts in the comonomer mixture and copolymer as a function of the overall monomer conversion was observed, indicating the accuracy of reactivity ratios calculated by copolymer composition at the moderate to high conversion. Instantaneous copolymer composition curve and number-average sequence length of comonomers in the copolymer indicated that the copolymerization system tends to produce a random copolymer.     

New functional copolymers of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acryloyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-methyl piperazine and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate: synthesis,determination of reactivity ratios and swelling characteristics of gels

Copolymers of N-acryloyl-N′-methylpiperazine (AcrNMP) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were synthesized by free radical solution polymerization in dioxane at 70 ± 1 °C, using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The copolymer compositions were analyzed by the methods of FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Both the method of analysis yielded results that agreed reasonably well. The monomer reactivity ratios of the copolymerization were determined by the linearization methods of Finemann–Ross (FR) and Kelen–Tüdös (KT). The reactivity parameter results derived using FTIR analysis showed that the copolymerization yielded mainly alternating structure with reactivity ratios, r ₁(AcrNMP) = 0.263 ± 0.011 and r ₂(HEMA) = 0.615 ± 0.097 by F–R method and r ₁ = 0.227 ± 0.074 and r ₂ = 0.53 ± 0.15 by KT method. Microstructure data calculated by the method of Igarashi also supports the alternating structure (tendency) of the copolymer. Crosslinked polymer gels of this system exhibited remarkably high swelling of more than 500% in water at ambient temperature.     

Atom transfer radical homo‐ and copolymerization of styrene and methyl acrylate initiated with trichloromethyl‐ terminated poly(vinyl acetate) macroinitiator: A kinetic study

Atom transfer radical bulk copolymerization of styrene (St) and methyl acrylate (MA) initiated with trichloromethyl‐terminated poly(vinyl acetate) macroinitiator was performed in the presence of CuCl/PMDETA as a catalyst system at 90°C. Linear dependence of ln[M]₀/[M] versus time data along with narrow polydispersity of molecular weight distribution revealed that all the homo‐ and copolymerization reactions proceed according to the controlled/living characteristic. To obtain more reliable monomer reactivity ratios, the cumulative average copolymer composition at moderate to high conversion was determined by ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. Reactivity ratios of St and MA were calculated by the extended Kelen‐Tudos (KT) and Mao‐Huglin (MH) methods to be r_St = 1.018 ± 0.060, r_MA = 0.177 ± 0.025 and r_St = 1.016 ± 0.053, r_MA = 0.179 ± 0.023, respectively, which are in a good agreement with those reported for the conventional free‐radical copolymerization of St and MA. Good agreement between the theoretical and experimental composition drifts in the comonomer mixture and copolymer as a function of the overall monomer conversion were observed, indicating that the reactivity ratios calculated by copolymer composition at the moderate to high conversion are accurate. Instantaneous copolymer composition curve and number‐average sequence length of comonomers in the copolymer indicated that the copolymerization system tends to produce a random copolymer. However, MA‐centered triad distribution results indicate that the spontaneous gradient copolymers can also be obtained when the mole fraction of MA in the initial comonomer mixture is high enough. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Study on monomer reactivity ratios of acrylonitrile/itaconic acid in aqueous deposited copolymerization system initiated by ammonium persulfate

A single water-soluble initiator-ammonium persulfate (APS), not containing alkali metal ions, was first utilized to initiate copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN)/itaconic acid (IA) in aqueous deposited copolymerization system. Monomer reactivity ratios of this polymerization system were investigated using element analysis method and Q–e schemes. It was found that the monomer reactivity ratios of AN/IA calculated from Q–e schemes are 0.505 (r _AN) and 1.928 (r _IA), while the monomer reactivity ratios of AN/IA in aqueous deposited copolymerization system at 60 °C are 0.64 (r _AN) and 1.37 (r _IA) calculated from Kelen–Tüdõs method, 0.61 (r _AN) and 1.47 (r _IA) from Fineman–Ross method. The three pairs of monomer reactivity ratios are in good agreement. With the increase of the polymerization temperature, the monomer reactivity ratios of AN and IA approach to unity, indicating that the aqueous deposited copolymerization of AN/IA has a tendency to ideal copolymerization. At lower polymerization conversion, the monomer reactivity ratios of AN and IA have hardly any changes. When the polymerization conversion is more than 5%, the monomer reactivity ratio of AN increases, while that of IA decreases.     

Kinetics for copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide

The kinetics for the radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide (NCMI) was investigated. The initial copolymerization rate R_p is proportional to the initiator concentration to the power of 0.54. The apparent activation energy of the overall copolymerization was measured to be 69.0 kJ/mol. The monomer reactivity ratios were determined to be r_NCMI = 0.42 and r_MMA = 1.63. R_p reduces slightly, and the molecular weight of the resultant copolymer decreases with increasing the concentration of the chain transfer agent N‐dodecanethiol (RSH). The more the transfer agent, the narrower the molecular weight distribution of the resulting copolymer. The following chain‐transfer constant of RSH for the copolymerization of MMA with NCMI in benzene at 50°C was obtained: C_s = 0.23. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymer increases with increasing f_NCMI, which indicates that adding NCMI can improve the heat resistance of Plexiglas. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1293–1297, 1999     

Radical copolymerization between methyl methacrylate and N‐cyclohexylmaleimide with thiol as an inifer

N‐dodecanethiol (RSH) was found efficient to initiate the radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide (NCMI) at 40–60°C. The initial copolymerization rate, R_p, increases respectively with increasing [RSH] and the mol fraction of NCMI in the comonomer feed, f_NCMI. The molecular weight of the copolymer decreases with increasing [RSH]. The initiator transfer constant of RSH was determined to be C_I = 0.21. The apparent activation energy of the overall copolymerization was measured to be 46.9 kJ/mol. The monomer reactivity ratios were determined to be r_NCMI = 0.32 and r_MMA = 1.35. The glass transition temperature of the copolymer increases obviously with increasing f_NCMI, which indicates that adding NCMI may improve the heat resistance of plexiglass. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1417–1423, 1999     

Polycarboxylate superplasticizers of acrylic acid–isobutylene polyethylene glycol copolymers: monomer reactivity ratios,copolymerization behavior and performance

Acrylic acid–isobutylene polyethylene glycol (AA-TPEG) copolymers are typical of polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCEs). AA-TPEG copolymers are prepared via free-radical polymerization with potassium persulfate as the initiator. The obtained copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and infrared spectra (FTIR). The GPC method can break through the former limitations of the instruments and receive instantaneous unreacted and instantaneous monomer concentrations and not the initial monomer feeds. Since TPEG monomer is highly bulky, the common calculation methods for determining monomer reactivity ratios in copolymerization based on terminal copolymerization equation are not suitable. However, this study created non-linear least squares curve fitting of terminal copolymerization equation (NLLSQ-T) and penultimate copolymerization equation (NLLSQ-P) methods, which used Python’s NumPy, SciPy, and SymPy libraries to generate code and did numerical computations, bringing greater accuracy of monomer reactivity ratios. The monomer reactivity ratios were calculated with Fineman–Ross, Kelen–Tüdös, YBR, NLLSQ-T, and NLLSQ-P methods and found to be r _AA = 10.888, r′ _AA = 1.131, r _TPEG = 0.012, and r′ _TPEG = 0.042 for AA-TPEG copolymers. Moreover, this study also explored specific copolymerization behavior of similar structure of copolymers with steric hindrance under penultimate copolymerization equation, such as dependence of the mole fractions in the copolymer on the mole fractions of unreacted monomers in solution, variation of copolymer compositions with conversion and sequence length distribution. The fluidity and flow loss of pastes containing PCEs were investigated, and the appropriate PCEs dosages resulted in a better workability of cement pastes.     

Radical Copolymerization of 2-(3′-Acryloxy)propoxythioxanthone and 1-Methyl-4-(3′-acryloxy)propoxythioxanthone with Methyl Methacrylate

Two new monomers based on thioxanthone, 2-(3′-acryloxy)propoxythioxanthone (M-2) and 1-methyl-4-(3′-acryloxy)propoxythioxanthone (M-4), were prepared and their radical copolymerization at 70°C with methyl methacrylate (MMA) was studied. By varying the conversion reached for a fixed feed composition, f_MMA=0·983, and using Jaacks method, the reactivity ratios were determined. Identical values of reactivity ratios were found for both systems, with values of r_MMA=2·46 and r_M-2=r_M-4=0·4. The homopolymerization of MMA in the presence of a model compound, 1-methyl-4-propoxythioxanthone, was also examined and confirmed that the thioxanthone chromophore does not have any influence on the free radical polymerization of MMA. © of SCI.     

Synthesis,characterizations and thermal behavior of methyl methacrylate and N‐(p‐carboxyphenyl) methacrylamide/acrylamide copolymers

The synthesis, characterization, and thermal properties of copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N‐(p‐carboxyphenyl) methacrylamide/acrylamide (CPMA/CPA) are described. The copolymerization was carried out in solution by taking different mole fractions (0.1–0.5) of CPMA/CPA in the initial feed using azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and dimethylformamide as a solvent at 60°C. The copolymer composition was determined from ¹H‐NMR spectra by taking the ratio of the proton resonance signal due to the  OCH₃ of MMA (δ = 3.59 ppm) and the aromatic protons (δ = 7.6–7.8 ppm) of CPMA/CPA. The monomer reactivity ratios of MMA:CPMA and MMA:CPA were determined using the Fineman Ross and Kelen Tudos methods and were found to be 1.32 ± 0.01 [MMA], 1.11 ± 0.02 [CPMA], 2.60 ± 0.01 [MMA], and 0.20 ± 0.01 [CPA]. Incorporation of these comonomers in the MMA backbone resulted in an improvement in the glass‐transition temperature and thermal stability. The percent char also increased with the increase of CPMA/CPA content in the copolymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 259–267, 2000     

Copolymerization of N‐aryl substituted itaconimide with methyl methacrylate: Effect of substituents on monomer reactivity ratio and thermal behavior

The article describes the synthesis and characterization of N‐(4‐methoxy‐3‐chlorophenyl) itaconimide (MCPI) and N‐(2‐methoxy‐5‐chlorophenyl) itaconimide (OMCPI) obtained by reacting itaconic anhydride with 4‐methoxy‐3‐chloroanisidine and 2‐methoxy‐5‐chloroanisidine, respectively. Structural and thermal characterization of MCPI and OMCPI monomers was done by using ¹H NMR, FTIR, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Copolymerization of MCPI or OMCPI with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in solution was carried out at 60°C using AIBN as an initiator and THF as solvent. Feed compositions having varying mole fractions of MCPI and OMCPI ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 were taken to prepare copolymers. Copolymerizations were terminated at low percentage conversion. Structural characterization of copolymers was done by FTIR, ¹H NMR, and elemental analysis and percent nitrogen content was used to calculate the copolymer composition. The monomer reactivity ratios for MMA–MCPI copolymers were found to be r₁ (MMA) = 0.32 ± 0.03 and r₂ (MCPI) = 1.54 ± 0.05 and that for MMA–OMCPI copolymers were r₁ (MMA) = 0.15 ± 0.02 and r₂ (OMCPI) = 1.23 ± 0.18. The intrinsic viscosity [η] of the copolymers decreased with increasing mole fraction of MCPI/or OMCPI. The glass transition temperature as determined from DSC scans was found to increase with increasing amounts of OMPCI in copolymers. A significant improvement in the char yield as determined by thermogravimetry was observed upon copolymerization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2391–2398, 2006     

Radical polymerization of mono- and di-methacrylic esters containing bisphenol-S

Radical polymerizations of mono- and di-methacrylic esters containing bisphenol-S (BPS-M and BPS-DM) were studied in terms of polymerization rate, solvent effect, copolymerization and kinetic measurements of photocrosslinking. The solvents were found to affect significantly the polymerization rate. Polar solvents such as DMSO and acetonitrile were found to slow down the polymerization rate. Copolymerization of BPS-M(M₁) with MMA(M₂) was studied in acetone at 60°C. The monomer reactivity ratios were calculated to be r₁ = 3.72 ± 0.01 and r₂ = 0.80 ± 0.01 by the Fineman-Ross method. The high reactivity of BPS-M observed in this copolymerization system may be due to the “matrix effect”. Functional polymers containing methacrylate side-groups were successfully modified and photocrosslinked by irradiation in the presence of benzoin isopropyl ether. The photocrosslinking process is found to be of second order kinetics.     

Free radical copolymerization of N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate with styrene and methyl methacrylate: monomer reactivity ratios and glass transition temperatures

BACKGROUND: The properties of copolymers depend strongly on their composition; therefore in order to tailor some for specific applications, it is necessary to control their synthesis, and, in particular, to know the reactivity ratios of their constituent monomers. Free radical copolymerizations of N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEM) with styrene (ST) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in toluene solution using 1‐di(tert‐butylperoxy)‐3,3,5‐trimethylcyclohexane as initiator at 70 °C were investigated. Monomer reactivity ratios were determined for low conversions using both linear and nonlinear methods. RESULTS: For the DMAEM/ST system the average values are r₁ = 0.43 and r₂ = 1.74; for the DMAEM/MMA system the average values are r₁ = 0.85 and r₂ = 0.86. The initial copolymerization rate, R_p, for DMAEM/ST sharply decreases as the content of ST in the monomer mixture increases up to 30 mol% and then attains a steady value. For the DMAEM/MMA copolymerization system the composition of the feed does not have a significant influence on R_p. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of the copolymers were determined calorimetrically and calculated using Johnston's sequence length method. A linear dependence of T_g on copolymer composition for both systems is observed: T_g increases with increasing ST or MMA content. CONCLUSION: Copolymerization reactivity ratios enable the design of high‐conversion processes for the production of copolymers of well‐defined properties for particular applications, such as the improvement of rheological properties of lubricating mineral oils. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with 4‐vinylpyridine initiated by a novel Ni(II)α‐Benzoinoxime complex

Copolymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with 4‐vinylpyridine (4VP) were performed from different monomer feed ratios in 1,4‐dioxan at 30°C under free radical initiation experimental conditions, using Ni(II)α‐Benzoinoxime complex as initiator. The obtained copolymers (PMMA4VP) were examined by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. The composition of these copolymers was calculated, using ¹H NMR spectra and elemental analysis. Monomer reactivity ratios were estimated from Fineman–Ross (FR, r_m = 0.550, r_v = 1.165) and Kelen–Tudos (KT, r_m = 0.559, r_v = 1.286) linearization methods, as well as nonlinear error in variables model (EVM) method using the RREVM computer program (RREVM, r_m = 0.559, r_v = 1.264). These values suggest that MMA‐4VP pair copolymerizes randomly. ¹H NMR spectra provide information about the stereochemistry of the copolymers in terms of sequence distributions and configurations. These results showed that the age of the Ni complex has an impact not only on its activity towards polymerization reactions but also on the features of the corresponding copolymers, whereas the chemical composition was insensitive to this prominent factor. The mechanism of MMA‐4VP copolymerization is consistent with a radical process as supported by microstructure and molecular weight distribution studies. Thermal behaviours of these copolymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Free‐radical copolymerization kinetics of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate in [BMIM]BF4

The copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and methyl acrylate (MA) was carried out in ionic liquid [BMIM]BF₄ in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator to investigate the polymerization kinetic, including the copolymerization rate, reactivity ratios, and activation energy. The copolymerization rate equation was established according to the effect of initiator and monomer concentrations on the conversion. The copolymerization rate R_p can be noted as , when the copolymerization was in the steady state. The apparent activation energy is 87.94 kJ/mol, while the value of that in the conventional organic solvent (DMF) is ∼ 81 kJ/mol. The reactivity ratios of the investigate system are r_AN = 0.36 and r_MA = 0.68. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4254–4257, 2006     

Controllable radical copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate using 1,1,2,2‐tetraphenyl‐1,2‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy) ethane as initiator

Copolymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out using 1,1,2,2‐tetraphenyl‐1,2‐bis (trimethylsilyloxy) ethane (TPSE) as initiator; the copolymerization proceeded via a “living” radical mechanism and the polymer molecular weight (M_w) increased with the conversion and polymerization time. The reactivity ratios for TPSE and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) systems calculated by Finemann–Ross method were r_St = 0.216 ± 0.003, r_MMA= 0.403 ± 0.01 for the former and r_St= 0.52 ± 0.01, r_MMA= 0.46 ± 0.01 for the latter, respectively, and the difference between them and the effect of polymerization conditions on copolymerization are discussed. Thermal analysis proved that the copolymers obtained by TPSE system showed higher sequence regularity than that obtained by the AIBN system, and the sequence regularity increased with the content of styrene in copolymer chain segment. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 1474–1482, 2001