Radical copolymerization of 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene with maleic anhydride

Copolymerizatian of 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene (a mixture of trans-trans-trans and cis-trans-trans isomers) with maleic anhydride was studied in dioxane in the presence of benzoyl peroxide. As shown with IR spectroscopy, the cop olymerization process is preceded by a partial spatial cis-rr uns isomeriza tion of cyclododecatriene. It is suggested that the formation of an unsatur ated alternating copolymer with an composition close to 1 : 2 proceeds by t he mechanism of cyclocopolymerization involving an intermolecular complex f ormed between cyclododecatriene and maleic anhydride in the elementary even ts of chain propagation.