| Abstract: | Itaconic anhydride was polymerized in the presence of a radical initiator under various conditions. The bulk polymerization at 75°C yielded polymer with molecular weight of more than 20000. The reactions of the resulting polymer with water and alcohols gave poly(itaconic acid) and its esters, respectively. The polymers prepared by such reactions were found to have similar thermal properties to those prepared by homopolymerizations of the respective itaconic acid derivatives. Poly(N-substituted itaconomic acid)s, which are difficult to obtain by direct polymerization of their monomers, were prepared by the reactions of poly(itacononic anhydride) with amines. Copolymerizations of itaconic anhydride with electron-donating monomers, styrene and isobutyl vinyl ether, gave alternating copolymers which were then converted by esterification to the respective copolymers of dialkyl itaconates with such electron-donating monomers. |
