ANIONIC-POLYMERIZATION OF 3,5-(2,4-)DIMETHOXYSTYRENE AND 2,4,6-TRIMETHOXYSTYRENE AND FUNCTIONALIZATION OF THE RESULTING POLYMERS BY LITHIATION

Anionic polymerizations of 3,5-dimethoxystyrene (1), 2,4-dimethoxystyr ene (2), and 2,4,6-trimethoxystyrene (3) were studied in THF at 195 K using sec-butyllithium as an initiator. Initiation reactions proceeded immediately upon addition of initiator for all monomers, but the prop agation rates decreased in the order of 1 > 2 > 3. Both the monomers 1 and 2 gave the corresponding polymers having predictable molecular we ights and narrow molecular weight distributions. However, the monomer 3 gave no polymer. It was confirmed that lithiation reaction of poly(1 ) and poly(2) by n-butyllithium in THF at 238 K proceeded with ease at the 4- and 3-positions of phenyl ring, respectively. Lithiated poly(1 ) and poly(2) are expected to be novel functional polymers for various applications. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.