SPONTANEOUS RADICAL POLYMERIZATIONS OF 7,8-BIS(ETHOXYCARBONYL)-7,8-DICYANOQUINODIMETHANE

High molecular weight homopolymers of 7,8-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)-7,8-dicyanoquinodimethane (DEDCQ) or copolymers of DEDCQ-styrene (St) and DEDCQ-p-methoxystyrene (p-MeOSt) were formed spontaneously in chloroform containing acetic acid. All polymerizations occurred by a radical mechanism. High molecular weight polymers formed at low conversion. Radical homopolymerization of DEDCQ was promoted by ambient light or heat. DEDCQ-p-MeOSt copolymerizations yielded alternating copolymers, which formed rapidly relative to the DEDCQ homopolymerizations and copolymerizations with St which yielded copolymers rich in styrene. All of these polymerizations are thought to begin with a bond-forming mechanism and propagate by polyaddition.