Cyclic diperoxides as sources of radicals for the initiation of the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Thermolysis of cyclic diperoxides gave radicals. When solution polymerizati on of MMA was initiated by acetone cyclic diperoxide transfer to solvent wa s the dominant feature of the initiation process. However, transfer in the bulk polymerization of MMA was not a significant feature. Initiation of pol ymerization of MMA in solution by dibenzyl ketone cyclic diperoxide occurre d at lower temperatures,and also aromatic end groups, derived from initiati on by benzyl radicals, could be detected by H-1 NMR.