Novel copolymers of vinyl acetate and alkoxy ring-substituted 2-phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes

POLY 193

Gregory B. Kharas, gkharas@depaul.edu, Selena M. Russell, Celeste A. Diener, Elissa A. Johnson, Karen E. Mc Creary, Erica Chlupsa, Van AT. Nguyen, Maura R. O'Brien, Michael E. Ogden-Schuette, Julie A. Oliver, and Naiha Walia. Department of Chemistry, DePaul University, 1036 West Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
Alkoxy ring-substituted 2-phenyl-1,1-dicyanoethylenes, RC6H4CH=C(CN)2, (where R is 2-methoxy, 3-methoxy, 4-methoxy, 3-ethoxy, 4-ethoxy, 4-propoxy, 4-buthoxy, and 4-hexyloxy) were prepared via a piperidine catalyzed condensation of appropriate substituted benzaldehydes and malononitrile. The radical copolymerization of the monomers with vinyl acetate at equimolar monomer feed results in equimolar alternating copolymers. The composition of the copolymers was calculated from nitrogen analysis, the structure and properties were analyzed by IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA.