Synthesis and characterization of new polymer systems containing very bulky tris(trimethylsilyl)methyl substituents as side chains

The 4-chloromethyl styrene (CMS) was copolymerized with different styrenic monomers such as methyl styrene, 4-methoxy styrene and α-methyl styrene by free radical polymerization method at 70 ± 1 °C using α,α^′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as an initiator and the copolymers I, II and III collected respectively. The very bulky tris(trimethylsilyl)methyl {trisyl} substituents were covalently attached to the obtained copolymers with replacement of all the chlorine atoms in CMS units. The polymers, obtained in quantitative yields, were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy; differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and GPC studies. All the polymers containing trisyl groups showed a high glass transition temperature (in the range 150-190 °C) in comparison with copolymers I-III (in the range 90-95 °C). The increase of the glass transition temperature reflects the substantial increase in rigidity of new polymers bearing very bulky substituents in side chains.