Anionic copolymerization of styrene and butadiene

Abstract

Abstract An attempt has been made to analyse experimentally the unusual copolymerization of butadiene with styrene initiated by Butyllithium in hydrocarbon solvents. The rates of reaction of styrene with polybutadienyllithium have been measured in both the presence and absence of butadiene, and found to be the same. The reaction of butadiene with polystyryllithium is found to be extremely fast. It is thought that the copolymerization can be explained in terms of four normal bimolecular reactions. No recourse has to be taken to preferential absorption at the reaction centre to explain the initial high butadiene content of the copolymer.