Reactions of Maleisomides with Alcohols

Abstract

New surfactants (surfmers) with various amide and ester groups next to C˭C double bonds have been obtained. Maleic acid amidesters (AE) with different hydrophobic groups at the nitrogen atom and hydrophilic substituents at oxygen atoms were synthesized starting with maleic isoimides. ¹H KMR and IR spectra were used for their characterization. Some were further characterized for their critical micellar concentration (CMC). A few cationic and zwitterionic surfmers were also prepared from isoimide precursors and characterized. All these surfmers were applied in batch emulsion polymerization of styrene, and in core‐shell seeded copolymerization of styrene and butylacrylate to give latexes with better stability than analogous compounds prepared from hemiesters (HE) of maleic acid.

Keywords:

• Surfmers
• Maleic acid
• Amidesters
• Surfactants
• Emulsion polymerization
• Styrene
• Butylacrylate
• Batch, core‐shell

Aknowledgment

This work was supported by the European Commission (Contract BRPR CT 97 0525).