Free-radical homopolymerization and copolymerization of ethyl α-hydroxymethylacrylate in tetrahydrofuran

Ethyl α-hydroxymethylacrylate (EHMA) was polymerized in a 3 mol/L tetrahydrofuran solution at 50°C, using 2–2' azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The kinetic behavior indicates a higher polymerization rate for EHMA than for methyl methacrylate (MMA). Copolymerization reaction between MMA and EHMA, under the same experimental conditions, was carried out and values of r_MMA = 1.264 and r_EHMA = 1.285 were found for the reactivity ratios. The comparison of triad sequences as determined from Bernouillian statistic to those calculated from the experimental spliting of O-methyl and α-methyl ¹H-NMR signals of the copolymers confirm the obtained results. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.