Studies in Cyclocopolymerization. IX. A Systematic Kinetic Study on the Cyclocopolymerization of Vinyl Ethers with Maleic Anhydride in Different Solvents

Abstract

The kinetics of the AIBN-initiated copolymerization of divinyl ether (DVE) and ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) with maleic anhydride (MA) was extensively studied in seven different solvents. The yield at 100% conversion as a function of the feed composition when the total monomer concentration is kept constant gave a confirmation of the composition of these copolymers: DVE/MA=½ and EVE/MA=1/1. The study of the initial rate as a function of the feed composition made it possible to determine the relative values of the different propagation rate constants consistent with a mechanism by successive and selective additions: in the EVE-MA system, the addition of EVE is slower than the addition of MA; in the DVE-MA system, the addition of DVE is slower than the addition of the first MA molecule, while the addition of the second MA molecule is slower than the first one. The study of the dependence of the monomer concentration, of the AIBN concentration, and of the efficiency of the initiator, on the rate of polymerization, shows finally that the true order of the monomer concentration is close to 1 while its apparent order varies from 1 to 2. From all the kinetic data it was observed that the mechanism of these co polymerizations can be explained without reliving upon the concept of participation of the charge-transfer complex formed between the monomers. However, participation of the complex in a competing mechanism with the above cannot be completely excluded.