Synthesis and Polymerization of Optically Active Di-L-Menthyl Itaconate

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Optically active di-L-menthyl itaconate (DMI) was prepared from itaconic acid and L-menthol. DMI was polymerized in bulk at 80°C to give a chiral homopolymer having a specific rotation of -76.9°. DMI (M 1) was copolymerized with styrene (ST, M 2), N-cyclohexylmaleimide (CHMI, M 2), vinyl acetate (VAc, M 2) and methyl methacrylate (MMA, M 2) with azobisisobutyronitrile in benzene at 50°C. The monomer reactivity ratios (r 1, r 2) and Alfrey-Price Q, e values were determined as r 1 = 0.56, r 2 = 0.55, Q 1 = 0.76, e 1 = 0.29 for DMI-ST; r 1 = 0.0, r 2 = 5.6 for DMI-MMA; r 1 = 0.0, r 2 = 0.25 for DMI-VAc; and r 1 = 0.31, r 2 = 0.56 for DMI-CHMI. The chiroptical properties of the polymers were investigated.