Novel Copolymers of Halogen Ring Substituted 2-Cyano-3-Phenyl-2-Propen- Amides and Styrene

ABSTRACT

Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylene monomers, halogen ring substituted 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenamides, RC₆H₄CH=C(CN) CONH₂ (where R is o-Cl, m-Cl, p-Cl, p-Br, and p-F) were prepared by Knoevenagel condensation. Novel copolymers of the propenamides and styrene were prepared at equimolar monomer feed composition by solution copolymerization in the presence of a radical initiator at 80°C. The order of reactivity (1/r ₁) for the monomers (M₁=styrene) was o-Cl (1.42) > p-F (1.19) > p-Cl (0.70) > m-Cl (0.60) > p-Br (0.44).