Anionic Polymerization of Hexafluoroisopropyl Acrylate and Methacrylate

Abstract

The anionic polymerizations of hexafluoroisopropyl acrylate and methacrylate were examined in the course of the investigation on the polymerization reactivity of fluorine-containing vinyl monomers. Butyllithium and organomagnesium compounds were found to yield the polymers of hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate. Ate complexes such as LiZnC₄H₉(C₂H₅)2 and LiAlC₄H₉(C₂H₅)3 initiated polymerization reaction and produced high molecular weight po lymers (M_GPC: 1.3×10⁴) of hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate. This monomer was also polymerized quantitatively with the initiator of triethylaluminium in toluene media. This phenomenon suggests that its polymerization reactivity might be as high as that of vinyl ketones. Hexafluoroisopropyl acrylate was less reactive toward the polymerization initiators which could yield the polymers of hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate.