Abstract: | Free radical copolymerization of sulfur dioxide with phenylacetylene (PA) in o-dichlorobenzene was studied in a range of temperatures from 30 to 80oC as a function of total monomer concentration ([SO2] + [PA]). PA content in the copolymers increases with decreasing total monomer concentration and increasing temperature. M w/M n becomes sharper with decreasing the total monomer concentration, but does not depend upon feed compositions which are changed keeping total monomer concentration constant at 2, 4, and 6 mol/L, respectively. These results strongly indicate the existence of depropagation. Thermal decomposition of the copolymers happens more easily than PA homopolymer and the carbon-centered free radicals are detected during the decomposition. Reactivity of ~ CH??(Ph) free radical (~ PA · ) is also discussed. |