Radical and cationic polymerizations of 3‐ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane

Abstract

Abstract3‐Ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane (EMO) was easily polymerized by dimethyl 2,2′‐azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) as the radical initiator through the opening of the vinyl group. The initial polymerization rate (Rp) at 50 °C in benzene was given by Rp = k[MAIB]0.55 [EMO]1.2. The overall activation energy of the polymerization was estimated to be 87 kJ/mol. The number‐average molecular weight (M̄n) of the resulting poly(EMO)s was in the range of 1–3.3 × 105. The polymerization system was found to involve electron spin resonance (ESR) observable propagating poly(EMO) radicals under practical polymerization conditions. ESR‐determined rate constants of propagation (kp) and termination (kt) at 60 °C are 120 and 2.41 × 105 L/mol s, respectively—much lower than those of the usual methacrylate esters such as methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate. The radical copolymerization of EMO (M1) with styrene (M2) at 60 °C gave the following copolymerization parameters: r1 = 0.53, r2 = 0.43, Q1 = 0.87, and e1 = +0.42. EMO was also observed to be polymerized by BF3OEt2 as the cationic initiator through the opening of the oxetane ring. The M̄n of the resulting polymer was in the range of 650–3100. The cationic polymerization of radically formed poly(EMO) provided a crosslinked polymer showing distinguishably different thermal behaviors from those of the radical and cationic poly(EMO)s. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1269–1279, 2001