Poly(9-vinyl anthracene peroxide): Synthesis, characterization, degradation and application as macroinitiator for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate

Polymerization of 9-vinyl anthracene (VAn) and molecular oxygen at high pressure in the presence of 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) at 50 °C in toluene produces fluorescent poly(9-vinyl anthracene peroxide) (PVAnP). Kinetics studies have been performed at different oxygen pressure to determine the saturation oxygen pressure during the oxidative polymerization of VAn. Elemental analysis, mass spectral fragmentation study, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy have been used to verify the alternating copolymer structure of PVAnP with repeating peroxy bonds in the copolymer backbone. Highly exothermic thermal degradation of PVAnP has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) has been studied using PVAnP as a macroinitiator at 90 °C in toluene. The rates of MMA polymerizations are determined with respect to the macroinitiator and the monomer. The MMA polymerization follows classical radical polymerization kinetics. Characterization of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) confirmed presence of fluorescent anthracene moiety at the PMMA chain ends.