Radical polymerization of n‐butyl methacrylate initiated by stibonium ylide

Abstract

Abstract1,2,3,4‐Tetraphenylcyclopentadiene triphenyl stibonium ylide initiated radical polymerization of n‐butyl methacrylate (n‐BMA) in dioxane at (60 ± 0.2)°C for 90 min under nitrogen atmosphere has been carried out. The system follows nonideal kinetics, i.e., Rp α [ylide]0.2 [n‐BMA]1.8. The value of k/kt and overall energy of activation have been computed as 0.133 × 10−2 L mol−1 s−1, 33 kJ/mol, respectively. The FTIR spectrum shows a band at 1745 cm−1 due to acrylate group of n‐BMA. The 1H NMR spectrum shows a peak of two magnetically equivalent protons of methylene group at 2.1 δ ppm. The DSC curve shows glass transition temperature (Tg) as 41°C. The presence of six hyperfine lines in ESR spectrum indicates that the system follows free radical polymerization and the initiation is brought about by phenyl radical. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2457–2463, 2007