Abstract
Polymerization of n-, iso-bytyraldehyde and chloral with sodium naphthalene complex as catalyst was studied. Polymers were obtained in relatively high yield when these aldehydes were polymerized at -78°C. Tendency of reducing polymer yield with increasing polarity of solvent was observed in the polymerization of n-butyraldehyde but the highest polymer yield was obtained when iso-butyraldehyde or chloral was polymerized in ethyl ether as solvent. Polymers of n-and iso-butyraldehyde were crystalline and independent of the sort of a solvent used in the polymerization.
It was confirmed from the measurement of infrared spectra that block copolymers of both these aldehydes and styrene or 2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine were obtained by using living polymer. Both homopolymers and block copolymers of these aledhydes were partly soluble in chloroform and their thermal stability varied with the aldehyde.
