Abstract
Novel trisubstituted ethylenes, alkyl ring-substituted butyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2C4H9 (where R is 2-methyl, 3-methyl, 4-methyl, 2-ethyl, 4-ethyl, 4-butyl, 4-t-butyl, 4-i-butyl) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and butyl 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 4-ethyl (4.69) > 3-methyl (4.18) > 4-t-butyl (2.98) > 2-ethyl (2.52) > 4-butyl (2.47) > 4-methyl (1.86) > 4-i-butyl (0.94) > 2-methyl (0.87). Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 200–500°C range with residue (3–8% wt), which then decomposed in the 500–800°C range.
Funding
We are grateful to acknowledge that the project was partly supported by the Coatings Industry Education Fund (CIEF), Chicago Society of Coating Technology and Office of Sponsored Programs and Research of DePaul University.