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 °C in the presence of diethylzinc (Et 2 Zn). Highly isotactic poly(DEA) was produced in quantitative yield with tert-butylmagnesium bromide and Et 2 Zn, whereas atactic poly(DEA) was generated in the absence of Et 2 Zn. No stereospecific polymerization of DMA proceeded with Grignard reagent in the presence of Et 2 Zn. The highly isotactic poly-(DEA) obtained was soluble in water and showed the characteristic coil-globule transition phenomenon.