Asymmetric radical polymerization of N-phenylmethacrylamides

The optical active polymers are obtained through the asymmetric radical polymerization of 2,6-disubstituted N-phenylmethacrylamide derivatives in optically active solvents. These polymers showed CD peaks when dispersed in liquid paraffin. The chiral structure is constructed only from the 2,6-disubstituted N-phenylmethacrylamides and is stably maintained in the solid state even at high temperatures. The chiral complex may affect the stereo-chemistry of the monomer addition to a growing radical, and the resulting polymer may have a chiral conformation, which can be maintained even after the completion of the chain growth, due to the steric hindrance of the substituents introduced on the 2 and 6 positions.