2026 年 99 巻 8 号 p. 214-220
N-Substituted maleimides (RMI) contain highly reactive unsaturated double bonds and are used not only for radical polymerization and copolymerization but also for stepwise polymerizations using Diels-Alder addition, ene–thiol reaction and so on. The maleimide structure is also used as a highly reactive functional group introduced into the side chain or terminal group of polymers, and is utilized for designing functional and high-performance materials with well-controlled polymer structure. Radical copolymerization is the most commonly used method for polymer synthesis, and RMI exhibits unique copolymerization reactivity depending on the type of comonomer used in the copolymerization. In this review article, our research on the design of transparent and heat-resistant polymer materials by radical copolymerization of RMI is summarized. The copolymerization reactivity of RMI, synthesis and thermal properties of copolymers containing an amino group as N-substituent, properties of RMI/isobutene alternating copolymers, synthesis of RMI copolymers with excellent transparency and high glass transition temperature, and design of network polymers using RMI copolymers are described.
