Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel oxy ring-trisubstituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel oxy ring-trisubstituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO₂CH₂CH(CH₃)₂ , where R is 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, 2,4,6-trimethoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxy, 4-benzyloxy-3,5-dimethyl, 2-chloro-3,4-dimetoxy, 3-chloro-4,5-dimetoxy, 5-chloro-2,3-dimetoxy 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.