Novel co-polymers of vinyl acetate and halogen ring-substituted methyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates

Abstract

Equimolar alternating co-polymers of vinyl acetate and electrophilic trisubstituted ethylene monomers, halogen ring-substituted methyl (E)-2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RC₆H₄CH=C(CN)CO₂CH₃ (where R = 2-Br, 3-Br, 4-Br, 2-Cl, 3-Cl, 4-Cl, 2-F, 3-F, 4-F), were prepared via co-polymerization in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the co-polymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. High glass transition temperatures of the co-polymers in comparison with that of polyvinyl acetate indicate a decrease in chain mobility of the co-polymers due to the high dipolar character of the tri-substituted ethylene monomer unit. The gravimetric analysis indicated that the decomposition of the co-polymers occurs in two steps. The first step is relatively fast weight loss in 227–370°C range, followed by very slow decomposition of the formed residue in 370–950°C range.

Keywords:

• TRISUBSTITUTED ETHYLENES
• RADICAL ALTERNATING CO-POLYMERIZATION
• VINYL ACETATE CO-POLYMERS