Evident solvent effect on propagation reactions during radical copolymerization of maleimide and alkene

The radical copolymerization of N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)maleimide (DMPhMI) and 2,4,4-trimethylpentene (TP) was investigated in several solvents at 60°C. The copolymerization rate and the molecular weight of the resulting copolymers were dependent on the kind of solvent used. It was also revealed that the monomer reactivity ratios depended on the solvent; r₁ = 0.086 and r₂ = 0 in chloroform and r₁ = 0.25 and r₂ = 0 in benzene, where DMPhMI and TP are M₁ and M₂, respectively. The propagation rate constants were determined for the homopolymerization and copolymerization in chloroform and benzene using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The homo- and crosspropagation rate constants (k₁₁ and k₁₂, respectively) were revealed to depend on the solvent: k₁₁ is 20 and 37 L/mol·s and k₁₂ is 230 and 150 L/mol·s in chloroform and in benzene, respectively. The interaction between the maleimide moiety and the solvent molecules was discussed based on the acceptivity of the solvents. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1515–1525, 1997