COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON POLYMERIZATION REACT ION IN METHACRYLIC SURFACTANT MONOMER SOLUTIONS

Two polymerizable methacrylic surfactants were synthesized and their c haracteristics (C-T, k(p)(2)/k(Te)) determined. When polymerization of these two surfactants was conducted in aqueous medium by irradiation or with a radical initiator, we obtained polymers with a chain length of about 40. Polymerization in an organic solvent led to higher chain lengths. These differences in behaviour arose from thermodynamic stabi lization of micelles, which limited polymerization and chain length. M oreover, radical lifetimes for these monomers were shorter than those of micelles and therefore polymerization occurred in micelles. Copyrig ht (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd