Microstructure determination of isobornyl methacrylate-styrene copolymer by NMR spectroscopy

An investigation of the microstructure of isobornyl methacrylate - styrene (I/S) copolymers prepared by the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using methyl-2-bromopropionate as an initiator and PMDETA copper complex as catalyst under nitrogen atmosphere at 70 °C has been done by two-dimensional NMR techniques. 2D- HSQC and TOCSY have been utilized to resolve the complex ¹H NMR spectrum and to establish the compositional and configurational sequences of isobornyl methacrylate-styrene (I/S) copolymers. 2D HSQC and TOCSY spectra showed compositional and configurational sensitivity of α-methyl carbon of I unit and methine proton of S unit and are assigned up to the triad level. The methylene carbon (C₁₀) also shows triad level of compositional sensitivity in 2D HSQC spectra. Heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation (HMBC) spectroscopy has been used to study carbonyl/quaternary carbon-proton coupling. The carbonyl and quaternary carbons showed compositional and configurational sensitivity upto the triad level. The values of reactivity ratios were determined by Kelen-Tudos (KT) and nonlinear error in variable method (RREVM) using copolymer composition data that were determined by ¹H NMR spectrum. Reactivity ratios of co-monomers in I/S copolymer, determined from a linear Kelen-Tudos method (KT) and non-linear Error-in-Variable Method (EVM), are r_I?=?0.39?±?0.09, r_S?=?0.44?±?0.08 and r_I?=?0.42, r_S?=?0.47, respectively.