Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with a thermal iniferter: Diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-di(p-tolyl)succinate

A hexa-substituted ethane type compound, diethyl-2,3-dicyano-2,3-di(p-tolyl )succinate (DCDTS), was successfully synthesized and used for initiation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization. The reaction demonstrated the ch aracteristics of a ''living'' polymerization; i.e., both the yield and the molecular weight of the resulting polymers increased linearly with increasi ng reaction time, the molecular-weight distribution of PMMA obtained was si milar to1.60 and almost unaffected by the conversion, and the resultant pol ymer can be chain extended by adding fresh MMA. End group analysis of the r esultant PMMA confirmed that DCDTS behaves as a thermal iniferter for MMA p olymerization. A block copolymer was prepared from the resultant PMMA, whic h contains a hexa-substituted C-C bond functional end group. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.