SYNTHESES AND RADICAL COPOLYMERIZATION BEHAVIOR OF OPTICALLY-ACTIVE METHACRYLAMIDES HAVING L-LEUCINE AND D-LEUCINE MOIETIES - INTERACTION BETWEEN L-FORM AND D-FORM

Syntheses and radical copolymerization behavior of N-methacryloyl-L-le ucine methyl ester (MA-(L)-L-M) and its optical isomer (MA-(D)-L-M) ha ve been examined. From their melting points and crystal X-ray analysis , MA-(L)-L-M and MA-(D)-L-M might be suggested to form a racemic compo und associated at the amide moiety by a hydrogen bond. Radical copolym erizations of MA-(L)-L-M and MA-(D)-L-M were carried out using AIBN as an initiator (1 mol %) in chlorobenzene (1 M) to afford the correspon ding copolymers as n-hexane-insoluble pacts with <(M)over bar (n)>, 77 000-120 000. The conversions of the monomers were almost quantitative in any case. The T-g of the copolymer having an equimolar ratio of L- and D-units was lower than those of the corresponding homopolymers. w hile the solubility of the copolymer in ether was higher than those of the homopolymers. The total rate of radical copolymerization of MA-(L )-L-M and MA-(D)-L-M was smaller than those of the homopolymerizations of the both monomers.