Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel methyl and methoxy tri, tetra, penta ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel methyl and methoxy tri, tetra, penta ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO₂CH₂CH(CH₃)₂ , where R is 2,4,5-trimethyl, 2,4,6-trimethyl, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl, pentamethyl, 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy-3-methyl, 2,4-dimethoxy-6-methyl were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and isobutyl cyanoacetate and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The acrylates were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.