Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by charge transfer mechanism by melamine and iron(III) complex

Abstract

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) can be polymerized by the charge-transfer complex formed by the interaction of melamine (MM), MMA and carbon tetrachloride in a non-aqueous solvent like dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or N- N-dimethylformamide. The polymerization can be accelerated by Lewis acids like Fe 3−. This paper reports the polymerization of MMA initiated by MM and CCl 4 and accelerated with hexakis dimethylsulphoxide iron(III) perchlorate [Fe(DMSO) 6] (ClO 4) 3. A, at 60°. Induction periods were observed for the polymerization initiated by MM and CCl 4 alone, but not when the molar ratio of MM to A became 3:1. The molecular weights of the polymers with 3:1 molar ratio of MM to A were higher than with MM alone. The rate constant for the polymerization of MMA in presence of [Fe(MM) 3] 3+ was 1.4181 × 10 −5 1 mol −1 sec −1 at 60°. The transfer constant for CCl 4, in the absence of A, is 4.66 × 10 −3.