Emulsion crosslinking polymerization of vinyl methacrylate as compared with allyl methacrylate

Abstract

The emulsion crosslinking polymerization behavior of vinyl methacrylate (VMA) bearing two types of carbon-carbon double bonds, methacryloyl and vinyloxycarbonyl groups, of greatly different reactivities was explored in detail as compared with allyl methacrylate. No gelation occurred even above 90% conversion, whereas the reactive crosslinked-polymer microspheres with abundant pendant vinyloxycarbonyl groups were easily obtained. The weight-average molecular weights, the r.m.s. radii of gyration, the second virial coefficients, the intrinsic viscosities and 1H NMR spectra of the resulting vinyl-type reactive microspheres were characteristic of microgel-like polymers.