Poly[2,2-dimethyl-4-(methoxylcarbonyl) butylene]: Synthesis with an ethylaluminum sesquichloride–peroxide initiator and NMR characterization

The alternating copolymer of isobutylene and methyl acrylate (the polymer of the title) has been obtained by using ethylaluminum sesquichloride (AlEt_1.5Cl_1.5) and 2-methylpentanoyl peroxide as the initiating system in benzene solution. The alternating copolymer is obtained at an acrylate/Al molar ratio of 17. Higher ratios increase the level of acrylate residues in the copolymer isolated; in the absence of AlEt_1.5Cl_1.5, an equal molar feed gives a copolymer with 75 mole % acrylate units. ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectra have been used to study the details of polymer structure and support the equal molar, alternating nature of the macromolecule. The details of the methoxy and gem-dimethyl peaks in the PMR spectra are consistent with a Bernoullian process determining the polymer configurational sequences, with P_m = 0.55–0.60.