Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel oxy ring-trisubstituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO₂CH₂CH(CH₃)₂ , where R is 2-ethyl, 4-(4-bromophenoxy), 2-(4-chlorophenoxy), 2-(4-fluorophenoxy), 4-(4-methoxyphenoxy), 3-(4-methylphenyl), 4-(4-methylphenyl), 4-acetoxy, 2,5-dimethyl 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.