Charge transfer initiation of methylmethacrylate by isopropylamine

Methylmethacrylate (MMA) can be initiated by charge transfer complexes (i) formed by the interaction of aliphatic amines and MMA and (ii) formed by the interaction of aliphatic amines and carbon tetrachloride in a solvent like N-N dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or chloroform. This paper reports the polymerization of MMA by isopropylamine (IPA) in the presence of CCl₄ in DMSO at 30. The rate of polymerization, R_p increases rapidly with CCl₄ up to a concentration of 0.25 mol l^?1 but, for a higher concentration, it is practically independent of the CCl₄ concentration. R_p is proportional to (IPA concentration)^{1 2} and to power of (MMA concentration)^1.30 when [CCl₄] ? [IPA]. The average rate constant, k, is 2.1 × 10^?6 l mol^{· 1} sec^{? 1}.