Reactivity ratios and sequence determination of methacrylonitrile/butyl acrylate copolymers by NMR spectroscopy

Methacrylonitrile/butyl acrylate (M/B) copolymers were prepared by bulk polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer spectra were used to differentiate between the carbon resonance signals of methyl, methine, methylene and oxymethylene groups in the C-13{H-1} NMR spectrum of the copolymer (M/B). Comonomer reactivity ratios were determined using Kelen-Tudos and non-linear error in variable methods. Two-dimensional Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence and Total Correlated Spectroscopy were used to resolve the complex H-1 NMR spectrum and to determine the compositional and configurational sequences of M/B copolymers. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.