Effect of tertiary diamines on anionic polymerization of polar vinyl monomers

Tertiary diamines that exhibit chelating capability to lithium are shown to decrease the reactivity of growing species when used in classical anionic polymerization of methacrylic monomers. Out of the different diamines investigated, sparteine turns out to be the most efficient chelating agent. The beneficial effect of the latter additives on the overall reactivity of methacrylic anions was exploited to prepare poly(MMA) samples of controlled size at room temperature. The decrease in reactivity was also demonstrated from a kinetic point of view, upon measuring the actual rate constant of propagation using vinyl pyridine as model monomer.