Synthesis and reactions of a poly(methacrylate) from an optically active amino alcohol

Synthesis and radical polymerization of a novel optically active methacrylate, (S)–2–tert–butoxycarbonylamino–3–phenylpropyl methacrylate (MA–F–BOC), were examined. MA–F–BOC was synthesized from methacrylic acid and N–protected (L)–phenylalaninol. Radical polymerization of MA–F–BOC quantitatively afforded the corresponding polymethacrylate with a relatively high molecular weight. Radical copolymerizations of MA–F–BOC were carried out with styrene and acrylamide to afford the copolymers. Radical polymerization of MA–F–BOC in the presence of n–butanethiol afforded the oligomers, whose degrees of polymerizations were 3.3–8.0. The BOC group was completely cloven with HBr to afford the corresponding optically active polymeric amine quantitatively. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 1981–1986, 1998