Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel dibromo and dichloro ring-disubstituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel dibromo and dichloro ring-disubstituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH(CH3)2 (where R is 2,5-dibromo, 3,5-dibromo, 2,3-dichloro, 2,4-dichloro, 2,5-dichloro, 2,6-dichloro, 3,4-dichloro, 3,5-dichloro) were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-disubstituted 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 at 70C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.