Functional monomers and polymers, 31. On the stereoregularity of vinyl polymers containing nucleic acid bases

Abstract

AbstractN‐β‐Methacryloyloxyethyl derivatives of adenine, thymine, uracil, and theophylline were polymerized at 60°C in various solvents, using azodiisobutyronitrile as an initiator, and the polymers obtained were further converted to poly(methyl methacrylate). From the high resolution NMR spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate) thus derived, the stereoregularity of the polymers originally prepared was determined. The NMR spectra measured at 150°C in dimethyl sulfoxide‐d6 showed three peaks based on α‐methyl protons, which were assigned to the components of the syndiotactic triad (S), heterotactic triad (H), and isotactic triad (I). In the free‐radical polymerization of these monomers containing nucleic acid bases at 60°C, the polymerization rate was found to be influenced by the sort of the bases and solvents used, while the stereoregularity of the polymers seems not to be affected by them.