ANIONIC-POLYMERIZATION OF MONOMERS CONTAINING FUNCTIONAL-GROUPS .8. ANIONIC LIVING POLYMERIZATION OF 4-CYANO-ALPHA-METHYLSTYRENE

The anionic polymerization of 4-cyano-alpha-methylstyrene (1) was carr ied out in THF at -78 degrees C with (1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutanediyl) d ipotassium and -dilithium, ( diphenylmethyl)potassium, and (triphenylm ethyl)potassium, and cesium. slum. All the polymerizations of 1 quanti tatively proceeded with each initiator, although the rates of polymeri zation were quite slow, especially in the case of organolithium initia tor. The resulting poly(1)s always possessed narrow molecular weight d istributions (M(W)/M(n) <1.13) and predicted molecular weights based o n the molar ratios of monomer to initiators. The living nature of the propagating carbanion derived from 1 was demonstrated by the postpolym erization. Novel well defined block copolymers poly(1-b-styrene-b-1) a nd poly(1-b-tert-butyl methacrylate-b-1) were successfully synthesized by the sequential addition of 1 and styrene or tert-butyl methacrylat e.