Polymerization of 4-Vinylquinoline and 9-Vinylacridine

Abstract

The polymerizations of 4-vinylquinoline (VQ) and 9-vinylacridine (VA) with excess amounts of alkyl halides were found to be initiated under mild conditions with appreciable conversions. Partially quaternized polymers were obtained in the polymerization of VQ with butyl bromide but quaternization did not occur during the polymerization of VA. With AIBN as a radical initiator, the polymerization rate of VQ was rather high but that of VA was extremely small. As in the case of the polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (VP), the polymerization of VA with alkyl halides is assumed to proceed via an ionic mechanism rather than a free radical mechanism. Quaternization abilities of these polymers obtained with radical initiators decrease in the order of poly-VP, poly-VQ, and poly-VA. The polymerization of VP or VQ with unsaturated alkyl halides indicates the possibility for one-step synthesis of water-soluble photo-sensitive polymers.