Vinyl polymerization initiated with alkali metal adducts of triphenylamine and triphenylphosphine

Abstract

The polymerizations of styrene, methyl methacrylate, isoprene, butadiene and acrylonitrile initiated with alkali metal adducts of triphenylamine or triphenylphosphine at 0°C in tetrahydrofuran take place by an anionic mechanism. Biphenyl alkali metal anion radical and alkali metal adducts of benzene, aniline and diphenylamine are formed in the reaction of triphenylamine with the alkali metal and it was shown that styrene was polymerized with both the anion radical and alkali metal adducts of benzene, whereas methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile were polymerized by all anion species.