Azobisisobutyronitrile → THF diisopropyl ether

Participants

Reaction Steps

0.039 mol of Vazo® 52 low-temperature polymerization initiator (E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company) was added to a solution of 70.30 g (0.3 mol) 2-methyl-2-adamantyl methacrylate, 51.05 g (0.3 mol) 2-methyl-acrylic acid 2-oxo-tetrahydro-furan-3-yl ester, 34.23 g (0.15 mol) hydroxynaphthylmethyl acrylate and 22.40 g (0.039 mol) of the PAG formed in Example 1 in a 178 g acetonitrile:tetrahydrofuran 2:1 mixture. The monomers and initiator solution were degassed for 10 minutes. Under inert atmosphere, 5 mL of the monomer and initiator solution were introduced into a reactor preheated to 80° C. (oil bath). The remainder of the monomer and initiator mixture was fed into the reactor at 80° C. over a two hour period. Upon completion of the addition, the reaction mixture was refluxed for two additional hours. The mixture was cooled to room temperature and the polymerization solution was precipitated into a large amount of diisopropyl ether, filtered and dried under vacuum. The resulting crude polymer was dissolved in 25-30 wt % tetrahydrofuran (THF) and precipitated into diisopropyl ether. The material was next filtered with a 0.2 micron filter, and the filtrand was slowly added to diisopropyl ether to provide a THF: diisopropyl ether 1:10 v/v solution. The precipitated polymer was isolated by filtration and dried overnight at 40° C. under vacuum.

Provenance & Evidence