
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Davis, JE 
A1  - Senogles, E 
T1  - &#947;-Irradiation of N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one and its homopolymer
JF  - Australian Journal of Chemistry
JO  - Aust. J. Chem.
Y1  - 1981
VL  - 34
IS  - 7
SP  - 1413
EP  - 1421
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/CH9811413 
N2  - The effect of &#947;-radiation on N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one and its homopolymer, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one), has been investigated. With N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one, polymerization occurs by a radical mechanism and the presence of water has been shown to have a promoting effect on the reaction, giving both increased polymerization rates and molecular weights. This has been primarily attributed to an enhancement of N- vinylpyrrolidin-2-one reactivity through hydrogen bonding. In contrast, irradiation of N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one in the presence of organic solvents leads to lower polymerization rates and lower molecular weights than with the undiluted monomer.     Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidin-2-one) primarily crosslinks on being irradiated. Gel fractions have been determined as a function of radiation dose and the results shown to be consistent with the theoretical data derived by Inokuti for a polymer with an initial molecular weight distribution of the Schulz-Zimm type. This leads to values for the radiation chemical yields of crosslinks and main chain scissions, G(X) and G(S), of 0.13±0.03 and 0.02±0.01, respectively, at 0&#176;C. 
ER  -

