Reactions of macroions with ester and carboxylic groups of polymers

Abstract

In the reaction of dianions with poly(methyl methacrylate), only an insignificant amount of insoluble crosslinked product is obtained. If, however, the concentration of grafting dianions approaches that of ester groups, the amount of poly(methyl methacrylate) which may thus be crosslinked becomes quite significant. Dications, too, can bring about crosslinking of only an insignificant number of poly(methyl methacrylate) chains. Carboxylic groups in poly(acrylic acid) react with dianions and dications in an anhydrous medium similarly to ester groups. On the other hand, in the presence of a cocatalytic amount of water dications are more readily bound to carboxylic groups, forming a covalent bond. The relatively highest efficiency was observed in the bond formation between dication and the poly[styrene-alt-(maleic anhydride)], both in an anhydrous medium and in the presence of H2O.