Mechanism of Asymmetric Polymerization of Triphenylmethyl Methacrylate, Separation and Optical Resolution of Oligomers

Abstract
Asymmetric oligomerization of triphenylmethyl methacrylate (TrMA) was carried out with (−)-sparteine-fluorenyllithium complex in toluene at −78 °C and the oligomers of methyl methacrylate (DP=2 and 3) derived therefrom were separated into diastereomers and optical isomers on silica gel and chiral HPLC columns, respectively. On the basis of the obtained data, the mechanism of asymmetric polymerization of TrMA was discussed.