The preparation and properties of zinc coordination complexes of poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐n‐butyl methacrylate) copolymers

Abstract
Two poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐n‐butyl methacrylate) copolymers containing 14.2 and 30.0 mol% of 4‐vinylpyridine residues were prepared by free radical copolymerization reactions. Insoluble complexes were obtained for each copolymer by reaction with zinc chloride. The coordination complexes obtained had a molar ratio of 4‐vinylpyridine residues to zinc atoms close to 2 in both cases. The rheological behavior of each of these complexes has been compared to that of the corresponding metal‐free copolymers, which were recovered by decomplexation. The metal complexed polymers exhibited much higher glass transition temperatures and much longer high temperature relaxation times than the corresponding uncomplexed copolymers.