Novel Copolymers of Styrene. 17. Ring-Trisubstituted Methyl 2-Cyano-3-Phenyl-2-Propenoates

Abstract

Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylenes, ring-trisubstituted methyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH = C(CN)CO₂CH₃ (where R is 2,4,6-trimethyl, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy, 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxy, 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy, 5-bromo-2,3-dimethoxy, 5-bromo-2,4-dimethoxy, 6-bromo-3,4-dimethoxy were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-trisubstituted benzaldehydes and methyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene (M₁) in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR. The order of relative reactivity (1/r₁) for the monomers is 5-bromo-2,3-dimethoxy (2.69) > 3,4,5-trimethoxy (1.86) > 6-bromo-3,4-dimethoxy (0.84) > 5-bromo-2,4-dimethoxy (0.39) > 4-hydoxy-3,5-dimethyl (0.31) = 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy (0.31) > 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy (0.24) > 2,4,6-trimethyl (0.22). Relatively high T_g of the copolymers in comparison with that of polystyrene indicates a decrease in chain mobility of the copolymer due to the high dipolar character of the trisubstituted ethylene monomer unit. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500ºC range with residue (1–6% wt), which then decomposed in the 500–800ºC range.

Keywords:

• Trisubstituted ethylenes
• radical copolymerization
• styrene copolymers

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful that the project was partly supported by the Coatings Industry Education Fund (CIEF), Chicago Society of Coating Technology and Office of Research Services of DePaul University. A. Shahbain was supported by a CIEF fellowship.