THE ANIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF ALLYL ACRYLATE AND OF ALLYL METHACRYLATE

Abstract

The low temperature polymerization of allyl acrylate in toluene solution has been investigated with n-butyllithium and 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium initiators. The latter was also used in a study of the polymerization of allyl methacrylate under the same conditions. The reactions between initiator and monomer were rapid in all cases. More than half of the initiator molecules reacted with monomer acrylic double bonds to start polymer chains, only a few of which grew to a high molecular weight, highly isotactic product. Most of the chains remained as a low molecular weight, precipitant-soluble product. The remaining initiator molecules reacted with the carbonyl groups of the monomers to produce species which could be detected as allyl alcohol, after termination of the reaction with acetic acid. The allyl double bonds were not involved in reactions during polymerization but were presumably responsible for the cross-linking which occurred when the polymers were exposed to air.