Copolymerization of butadiene and styrene by initiation with alkyllithium and alkali metal <i>tert</i>‐butoxides

Abstract

Abstract Combinations of the various alkali metal tert ‐butoxides with organolithium initiators give homogeneous copolymers of butadiene and styrene. The unprecedented flexibility of this initiator system allowed preparation of random copolymers with various amounts of vinyl unsaturation and various degrees of randomness. The butyllithium–potassium tert ‐butoxide initiator system was more efficient than phenylpotassium.