Alternating phototerpolymerization of zinc acrylate, styrene and acrylonitrile initiated by the As2S3-styrene complex

Abstract

Solution terpolymerization of zinc acrylate, styrene and acrylonitrile, photoinitiated by the As2S3-styrene complex in dimethyl sulphoxide was investigated at 35±0.1 °C for 30 h. The system followed non-ideal kinetics owing to the primary radical termination as well as the degradative chain transfer. A free-radical mechanism was confirmed from the electron spin resonance studies and the inhibiting hydroquinone.The terpolymer has been characterized by IR and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.The overall activation energy ΔE is 51 kJ mol−1 and the value of kp2/kt is 6.33 × 10−8 l mol−1 s−1.