Abstract: | The isotactic polymethacrylonitrile prepared by the organometallic catalysts has carbonyl groups in the polymer. Thus, the carbonyl formation during the polymerization by diethylmagnesium was carefully studied by infrared spectrometry. It was found that the imino anion formed by monomolecular termination of the propagating chain end in the cyclization reaction successively attacks the vicinal pendent nitriles in the polymer so as to form the conjugated cyclic imines, which are hydrolyzed to acid amines during the catalyst decomposition with acidic methanol. |