SYNTHESIS, SOLUTION PROPERTIES, AND GLASS-TRANSITION TEMPERATURES OF POLYMETHACRYLATES WITH ALICYCLYLMETHYL SIDE-GROUPS

The synthesis, solution properties, and glass transition temperatures of polymethacrylates having alicyclic rings connected to the ester lin kage via methylene spacers are reported. The rings cover the range in size from cyclobutyl to cycloundecyl. An attempt was also made to prep are and study poly(cyclopropylmethyl methacrylate), but free radical s olution polymerization led to gels. Solution and thermal properties of these polymers are compared to those previously reported for polymeth acrylates with both alicyclyl and n-alkyl substituents. The introducti on of the methylene spacer between the ester linkage and the ring resu lts, for small rings, in diminished characteristic ratios relative to those obtained for the alicyclyl materials. Chain flexibilities of pol y(alicyclylmethyl methacrylates) are instead found to be identical to those of poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) having the same number of carbons . The glass transition temperatures of the poly(alicyclylmethyl methac rylates) are generally intermediate to those observed for alicyclyl an d n-alkyl methacrylates, but are closer to the former.