The reactivity of maleic anhydride toward the 1-phenylethyl radical

• Published in: European polymer journal Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 1249 - 1254
• Main Authors: Fellows, Christopher M., Senogles, Ernest
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Copolymerization; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Copolymerization; Experimental study; Methyl methacrylate copolymer; Monomers; Organic free radical; 2,5-Furandione(2,5-dihydro); Alternating copolymer; Alternating copolymerization; Maleic anhydride copolymer; Radical copolymerization; Methyl methacrylate; Chemical reactivity; Styrene copolymer
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-3057(97)00262-0

The behaviour of the 1-phenylethyl radical as an initiating species was investigated using the end group method of Bevington et al. for a number of copolymerisations of methyl methacrylate with maleic anhydride and similar species. A strong selectivity for addition of the 1,2 disubstituted monomer was found in each case. The reactivity ratios obtained for addition of the 1-phenylethyl radical to styrene and maleic anhydride, when compared with published equivalents for the poly(styrene) radical, showed addition to the 1-phenylethyl radical to be more selective by a factor of approximately two. Similar results were found for each of the other species examined and it is suggested a penultimate effect of steric origin is responsible for the decreased selectivity of the poly(styrene) radical. No significant solvent effect was found on the reactivity of the 1-phenylethyl radical in the copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate and maleic anhydride.