The Mechanism of the Polymerization of Styrene by Perchloric Acid

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Abstract
The kinetics of the polymerization of styrene, initiated by anhydrous perchloric acid in carbon tetrachloride solution and in mixtures of methylene chloride and carbon tetrachloride, have been studied by NMR and GLC methods. In carbon tetrachloride the reaction is zeroth order. The kinetics, together with the known effects of dielectric constant and pressure on the reaction rate, suggest that the rate-determining step may be the formation of a carbonium perchlorate ion-pair, associated with neutral molecules of styrene.