Hybrid organic-inorganic copolymers from oxohydroxoorganotin dimethacrylate and methyl methacrylate

Organic-inorganic polymeric derivatives constituted by methyl methacrylate co-units and an oxohydroxobutyltin macrocation difunctionalized with methacrylate counterions have been prepared by radical polymerization in solution. The reaction affords soluble products, indicative of a substantial absence of cross-linking originated by the difunctional macrocationic comonomer, when the molar excess of methyl methacrylate is high. The organic-inorganic hybrid products obtained have been characterized by various techniques, thus allowing us to propose a mechanism for their formation which implies a role as chain termination agent for the macrocationic monomer.