"Living" radical polymerization of MMA using dimethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenyl succinate as thermal iniferter

Dimethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylsuccinate (DMCPS), a good initiator, has b een found to proceed via "living" free radical polymerization in the radica l polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The average molecular weight of th e polymethyl methacrylate increased while increasing both conversion and po lymerization time, and its corresponding molecular weight distribution decr eased with the increasing reaction time. Hence, it is inferred that DMCPS s erves as a thermal iniferter and follows "living" free radical polymerizati on. Polymethyl methacrylate capped with the fragments initiated the polymer ization of styrene to yield polymethyl methacrylate-polystyrene block copol ymer, which has been characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, in frared, and differential scanning calorinetry, respectively.