Determination of the reactivity ratios, sequence distribution and stereoregularity of butyl acrylate‐methyl methacrylate copolymers by means of proton and carbon‐13 NMR

Abstract

Abstract The 400 MHz proton NMR spectra of butyl acrylate (BA)—methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymers prepared by free radical polymerization in solution at 323 K were used for the determination of the reactivity ratios. The reactivity ratios r M and r B calculated by the error‐in‐variables method are 2.279 and 0.395, respectively. The methoxy region of the MMA proton signal resonance was found to be sensitive for MMA‐centred sequences and a new assignment is proposed. The coisotacticity parameter σ BM was calculated using a non‐linear least‐squares procedure with relative error estimation based on the new assignment and was found to be 039. The carbon‐13 NMR spectra of the BA‐MMA copolymers, in particular the carbonyl signal resonances, are sensitive for MMA‐and BA‐centred configurational sequences. The same assignment is used as for the ethyl acrylate—methyl methacrylate copolymer.