Vinyl polymerization 177. Polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated with the imidazole — carbon tetrachloride system

Abstract

Abstract Acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, styrene, methyl acrylate, acrylic acid, and methacrylic acid were found to be polymerized by the system of imidazole and carbon tetrachloride. The polymerization proceeded through radical mechanism. In spite of the presence of carbon tetrachloride, the molecular weight of the polymer obtained was very high. The polymer contained chlorine, and from the reaction product Cl − could be extracted by water. From these results and the data of NMR measurements, an initiation mechanism was proposed. Also some polymers of N‐vinyl compounds, such as poly‐4‐vinylpyridine or poly‐2‐ethyl‐N‐vinylimidazole, were found to be active. However, the initiation mechanism seemed to differ from that by the above imidazole‐carbon tetrachloride system. In the polymerization initiated by imidazole and carbon tetrachloride, various macromolecules, such as cellulose, poly‐N‐vinylpyrrolidone or poly‐N‐vinylcarbazol, could accelerate the polymerization of acrylonitrile. A matrix mechanism is still in question for this interesting reaction.