Copolymers incorporated with β-substituted acrylate synthesized by organo-catalyzed group-transfer polymerization

Abstract Various copolymers incorporated with β-substituted acrylates, such as alkyl crotonates (e.g., methyl crotonate (MC), ethyl (EC), isopropyl (iPC), and n -butyl (nBC)) cinnamate (MCin), were synthesized by group-transfer polymerization (GTP) using a silicon-based Lewis acid catalyst. In addition to α-substituted acrylates methacrylate (MMA) (nBMA)) examined comonomers. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) characterizations of the obtained revealed that each monomer component was sufficiently. The thermal stabilities resulting investigated dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), indicating glass-transition temperature T g ) can be widely varied over relatively high-temperature range selecting optimal comonomer. More specifically, values poly(MC- random -EC) (MC/EC molar ratio = 50/50), -nBC) (MC/nBC -MCin) (MC/MCin 54/46), poly(nBC- (nBC/MCin 56/44) 173, 130, 216, 167 °C, respectively.