| Abstract: | Propagating radicals of dialkyl fumarates (DRFs) and deuterated fumarate were trapped by admitting a 2-methyl-2-introsopropane (BNO) solution to the polymerization mixture containing the active radicals or by the polymerizations initiated with di-t-butyl hyponitrite in the presence of BNO. Although ESR spectra of the propagating radicals were appreciably changed with the size of the ester alkyl groups, all the nitroxyl radicals resulting from the spin trapping exhibited similar six-line spectra. The hyperfine splitting constant for the α-hydrogen of the radical moiety showed a slight dependence on the chain length, and the bulkiness of the ester alkyl group did not affect splitting of the spectra. These findings indicate that a substituted methylene radical is produced by addition of the primary radical to DRF followed by propagation throughout the polymerization and that poly(DRF) radical does not encounter severe hindrance in the reaction with BNO. |
