Conformational and neighboring effects in graft polymerization of acrolein onto imidazole-containing polymer

The graft polymerizations of acrolein (AL) onto an imidazole (Im)-containing polymer, such as a homopolymer of 4(5)-vinylimidazole (VIm) and several copolymers of VIm-methyl vinyl ketone, VIm-butyl acrylate, and VIm-2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, have been kinetically carried out in ethanol-water mixture at 0°C. The graft polymerization rate R_p and the degree of graft polymerization increased with increasing concentration of water in the solvent. Moreover, the R_p of the copolymer system having the hydrophobic group as the side chain decreased in comparison with the homopolymer system. Polymerizations of AL in the presence of propionamide or poly-acrylamide (AAm) induced by Im were also kinetically carried out in ethanol-water mixture. The R_p was also affected by the conformational change of poly-AAm. These results were discussed by assuming the conformation of the parent polymer in ethanol-water mixture.