Crosslinking during radical polymerization of dodecyl methacrylate

A much more efficient formation of crosslinks was observed in the free-radi cal polymerization of dodecyl methacrylate with respect to the amount of de composed peroxide than it would correspond to the additional peroxide cross linking of formed poly(dodecyl methacrylate). Polymer crosslinking also pro ceeds after using 2,2'-azoisobutyronitrile as initiator of the polymerizati on of dodecyl methacrylate, although with a substantially lower efficiency compared to the initiation by peroxide under comparable conditions. The eff icient formation of crosslinked structures can be explained by branching an d copolymerization of monomer with multifunctional dead polymer Multifuncti onality of the formed macromolecules is a result of transfer and addition r eactions of the present free radicals with the formed polymer. The differen ce in the influence of the initiator follows from the higher reactivity of oxy radicals in transfer reactions with monomer dodecyl methacrylate which results in a greater number of polymerizable double bonds built in the poly mer chain.