Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel trisubstituted ethylenes: 7. Ring-disubstituted 2-methoxyethyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel trisubstituted ethylenes, methyl and methoxy ring-disubstituted 2-methoxyethyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO₂CH₂CH₂OCH₃ (where R is 4-methoxy-2-methyl, 4-methoxy-3-methyl, 3-ethoxy-4-methoxy, 4-ethoxy-3-methoxy, 3,4-dibenzyloxy, 3-benzyloxy-4-methoxy, 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxy, 2-bromo-5-methoxy, 3-bromo-4-methoxy, 5-bromo-2-methoxy, 2-chloro-3-methoxy, 3-chloro-4-methoxy, 2-chloro-6-methyl, 3-chloro-4-methyl) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The ethylenes were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and 2-methoxyethyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.