Copolymerization of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione with p-chlorostyrene and vinylidene chloride

The copolymerization of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione (M₂) with p-chlorostyrene and vinylidene chloride is reported. The copolymers were prepared in sealed tubes under nitrogen with azobisisobutyronitrile initiator. Infrared absorption bands at 1580 cm.^?1 revealed the presence of a highly enolic β-diketone and indicated that copolymerization had occurred. The copolymer compositions were determined from the chlorine analyses and the reactivity ratios were evaluated. The copolymerization with p-chlorostyrene (M₁) was highly alternating and provided the reactivity ratios r₁ = 0.32 ± 0.06, r₂ = 0.02 ± 0.01. Copolymerization with vinylidene chloride (M₁) afforded the reactivity ratios r₁ = 2.4 ± 0.6, r₂ = 0.15 ± 0.05. The Q and e values for the dione (Q = 0.13, e = 1.37), as evaluated from the results of the vinylidene chloride case, agree closely with the previously reported results of copolymerization with methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile and confirm the general low reactivity of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione in nonalternating systems.