Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel mono, di, and tri ring-substituted tert-butyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel ring-substituted tert-butyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2C(CH3)3, where R is 4-phenoxy, 3-iodo, 2,4-dimethoxy, 3,4-dimethoxy, 4-ethoxy-3-methoxy, 4-fluoro-3-methoxy, 4-hydoxy-3,5-dimethyl, 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The acrylates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and tret-butyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR. All the acrylates were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation at 70C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.