Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH(CH3)2, where R is 2-fluoro-5-iodo, 2-fluoro-6-iodo, 2-trifluoromethyl, 3-trifluoromethyl, 4-trifluoromethyl, 2-trifluoromethoxy, 3-trifluoromethoxy, 4-trifluoromethoxy, 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.