Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel bromo, chloro, and fluoro ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel bromo, chloro, and fluoro ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH(CH3)2 , where R is 5-bromo-2,4-dimethoxy, 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy, 3-chloro-2,6-difluoro, 4-chloro-2,6-difluoro, 2,3,5-trichloro, 2,3,6-trichloro, 2,3,4-trifluoro, 2,3,5-trifluoro, 2,4,5-trifluoro, 2,4,6-trifluoro, 3,4,5-trifluoro, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro, 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoro 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.