Copolymerization of styrene with diketene

Abstract

Synthesis of polymers with reactive groups in the macromolecules is of considerable interest since the presence in these polymers in even small proportions of functional groups opens up great possibilities of modification. Among polymers with reactive groups considerable interest is attached to polymers containing lactone rings. These rings are highly reactive and readily react under mild conditions to form crosslinked or graft copolymers [1, 2]. One of the methods of synthesizing polymers with lactone rings is by copolymerization of unsaturated lactones, the most readily available of which is deketene. It is well known that homopolymerization of diketene takes place with ionic catalyst and is accompanied by opening of the lactone ring and, according to the reaction conditions, produces polymers with polyester of polyketone structures. Polymers containing an unopened β-lactone ring were obtained by high energy irradiation of diketene [3–5]. Diketene is not polymerized with radical initiators. However, copolymerization of diketene with olefins with radical initiators takes place fairly easily, forming copolymers with β-lactone rings in the macromolecules: ▪ Of these products copolymers of diketene with acrylonitrile [6–9], vinyl chloride [9], vinyl acetate [6], methyl methacrylate [2], ethylene and vinylidene chloride [10] are known.