| Abstract: | ESR studies on the radical polymerization of vinyl ethers were performed from ?50°C to room temperature using di-tert-butylperoxide as a photoinitiator. Well resolved ESR spectra were assigned to propagating radicals of vinyl ethers. Their hyperfine splitting constants due to α-proton were about 16 G, being smaller than those of ethyl acrylate and vinyl acetate. The smaller constants is ascribed to a deviation of the propagating radicals from sp2 hybrid structure. The reason why high polymers are not obtained from vinyl ethers by radical polymerization is discussed on the basis of information from the ESR studies. |
