Synthesis of copolymers of <i>tert</i>‐butyl vinyl ether with maleic and citraconic anhydrides

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, the effects of charge‐transfer complex formation and intramolecular fragmentation (side‐chain lactonization) in radical copolymerization of tert‐ butyl vinyl ether ( t ‐BVE) with anhydrides of maleic (MA) and citraconic (CA) acids and the structure–thermal behavior relationships of the resulting copolymers were examined using the 1 H‐NMR, FTIR, DSC, and TGA analysis methods. It was shown that copolymerization under the chosen conditions proceeded through intramolecular fragmentation with the formation of γ‐lactone units. Side‐chain fragmentation of t ‐BVE–MA and t‐ BVE–CA copolymers also was confirmed by TGA and DSC analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2455–2463, 2006 2006