Mechanism of the propagation step in the anionic polymerization of styrene

Abstract

The paper is dealing with an investigation of the kinetic dependence of the propagation step in the anionic coordination polymerization of styrene in benzene at 303 K with "living" oligostyryllithium as initiator at the onset of the reaction. A short but distinct induction period was found, indicating a preceding slow reaction leading to the formation of a reactive intermediate, which behaves as the initiator of the reaction. Using results obtained in the first paper of this series, a new mechanism of propagation has been suggested, the mathematical solution of which is correlated with experimental data.