Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.38, No.S, 4677-4685, 2000
Synthesis of highly isotactic Poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) by anionic polymerization with grignard reagents and diethylzinc
N,N-Dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N;N-diethylacrylamide (DEA) were polymerized with various Grignard reagents in tetrahydrofuran at -78 degreesC in the presence of diethylzinc (Et2Zn). Highly isotactic poly(DEA) was produced in quantitative yield with tert-butylmagnesium bromide and Et2Zn, whereas atactic poly(DEA) was generated in the absence of Et2Zn. No stereospecific polymerization of DMA proceeded with Grignard reagent in the presence of Et2Zn. The highly isotactic poly(DEA) obtained was soluble in water and showed the characteristic coil-globule transition phenomenon.