Abstract: | Anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or THF/toluene mixture at ?78°C initiated by triphenylmethyl sodium or lithium as initiators. Highly syndiotactic PMMA of low polydispersity (M w/m n = 1.11–1.17) could be prepared with triphenylmethyl lithium in THF or THF/toluene mixture at ? 78°C. Moreover, PMMA macromonomer having one vinylbenzyl group per polymer chain was prepared by the couplings of living PMMA initiated by triphenylmethyl lithium with p-chloromethyl styrene (CMS) at ?78°C. The coupling reaction of living PMMA initiated by triphenylmethyl sodium with CMS was scarcely occurred. |