Cyclic acetal-photosensitized polymerization. VII. Photopolymerization of 2-vinyl-4-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane

In order to assess the effect of the methylol group at the 4-position of 1,3-dioxolane on polymerization, the photopolymerization of 2-vinyl-4-hydroxymethyl-1,3-dioxolane (VHDO) was carried out in benzene at 40°C. The reaction scheme of VHDO was considered to be the same as that of 2-vinyl-1,3-dioxolane (VDO). The rate of polymerization and the molecular weight of polymer were small because of the degradative chain transfer by allylidene group. Moreover, the rate of polymerization of VHDO was greater than that of VDO, whereas the molecular weight of polymer of VHDO was less than that of VDO.