13C NMR spectroscopy of cationic copolymers of acrylamide

Summary Random copolymers of acrylamide and a quaternary ammonium acrylate monomer have been investigated by¹³C NMR spectroscopy in aqueous solution. Cleavage of the ester function has been shown to occur in mild alkaline media with a simultaneous intrachain reaction giving imide group formation. Sequential length distribution of the comonomers has been analyzed from triads composition and the experimental results lead to a nearly Bernouillian statistics although a more alternating distribution would be predicted from the reactivity ratios. This fact has been attribtued to the compositional heterogeneity of our copolymers which have been prepared at high degree of conversion.