Tacticity of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate). Evidence for a Penpenultimate Group Effect in Free-Radical Polymerization

Abstract

The tacticity of poly(methyl methacrylate ) prepared by free-radical polymerization has been determined by analysing the carbonyl region of the ¹³C n.m.r . spectrum. This analysis demonstrates that the addition of poly(methyl methacrylyl ) radical to methyl methacrylate in benzene at 60°C is subject to a significant penpenultimate unit effect. The probability of forming a meso dyad is some 20% less if the preceding dyad in the chain is also meso . The polymerization (60°C, benzene) is described by the following parameters P(m) = 0.202, P(m|m) = 0.159, P(r | m) = 0.212.