| Abstract: | The electroinitiated polymerization of acrylamide (AA) has been studied in acetonitrile medium using tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) as the electrolyte. Split-cell experiments showed that the polymer formation takes place both in the anode and the cathode compartments. The polymer yield depends on several factors such as the magnitude of the current flow, the duration of the electrolysis, the monomer concentration, the electrolyte concentration, the temperature of the solution, presence or absence of air, and finally whether or not the cell content was stirred. The current exponent of the polymerization was 0.28 with a reaction rate constant of 1.06 reaction % per hour. The IR and NMR spectra of the polymers suggest that the anodic polymer is polyacrylamide  and the cathodic polymer is poly-β-alanine (? CH2? CH2? CO? NH? ). Based on the experimental results, a radical mechanism for the anodic polymerization and an anionic mechanism for the cathodic polymerization have been proposed. |
