Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel dimethyl and dimethoxy ring-substituted octyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel dimethyl and dimethoxy ring-substituted octyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2(CH2)6CH3 (where R is 2,3-dimethyl, 2,4-dimethyl, 2,5-dimethyl, 2,6-dimethyl, 3,4-dimethyl, 3,5-dimethyl, 2,3-dimethoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy, 2,5-dimethoxy, 2,6-dimethoxy, 3,4-dimethoxy, 3,5-dimethoxy) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The acrylates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-disubstituted benzaldehydes and octyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR. All 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.