Radical polymerization as an indicator reaction for determination of organic compounds

Abstract

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 4-vinylpyridine (VP) has been carried out in an aqueous solution in the presence of the initiating system persulfate-tetramethylethylenediamine. The reaction rate has been monitored by measuring the light absorbance of the suspension of the resulting polymer. The effect of 26 model organic compounds on the polymerization rate has been studied. It has been shown that the VP polymerization is inhibited by a smaller number compounds (9 compounds) than the MMA polymerization (22 compounds), which indicates that the former reaction has better selectivity, whereas the determination of model compounds using the MMA polymerization reaction is more sensitive. This is explained by the lower chain growth rate constant for VP vs. MMA and different stationary concentrations of radicals in the systems. The use of these indicator polymerization reactions makes it possible to distinguish some closely related compounds, e.g., 1,4-benzoquinone and 9,10-anthraquinone (MMA reaction) or dinitrophenol and 4-nitrophenol or phenol (VP reaction). Determination of ascorbic acid in a pharmaceutical formulation has been carried out.