Synthesis and radical polymerization of dissymmetric fumarates with alkoxyethyl and bulky siloxy groups

Novel dissymmetric fumarate monomers ( 1a – c ) having both an alkoxyethyl group such as 2‐methoxyethyl ( a ), 2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl ( b ), and 2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl ( c ) and a bulky 3‐[tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl]propyl group were synthesized successfully, and their radical homopolymerizations and copolymerizations with styrene (St) were investigated. Monomer reactivities of the 1a – c in homopolymerizations were enhanced with an increase in the length of alkoxyethyl chains. The enhancement in the reactivity was explained with the suppression of the termination reaction, resulting from the increased steric hindrance induced by an increase in the size of alkoxyethyl chains. Copolymerizations of the 1a – c with St were carried out in bulk in the presence of AIBN at 60 °C, and their copolymerizations proceeded in a highly alternating tendency regardless of alkoxyethyl chain lengths. The Q, e values of the 1a – c were obtained as 0.48, +1.55 for the 1a , 0.66, +1.16 for the 1b , and 0.60, +1.16 for the 1c , respectively, from the terminal model reactivity ratios, and the 1a – c were found to be conjugative, electron‐accepting monomers. Membranes containing the 1a unit, prepared by the copolymerization of 1a with N‐vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) and terpolymerization of 1a , NVP, and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, have higher oxygen permeability than those containing no 1a unit, and also they have much better transparency compared with the membranes containing 3‐[tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silyl]propyl methacrylate unit. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 420–433, 2009