STUDIES ON HELIX-SENSE-SELECTIVE COPOLYMERIZATION BASED ON TRIPHENYLMETHYL METHACRYLATE

Helix-sense-selective copolymerizations based on triphenylmethyl methacrylate (TrMA) with methyl methacrylate (MMA), benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and diphenylmethyl methacrylate (DPMMA) in the presence of the chiral anionic complex initiator (-)-sparteine/9-fluorenyl-lithium (1) were investigated. The studies concentrated on the stereoregularity of the copolymers, the relative reactivity of the monomers, the specific rotation of the copolymers and the influence of the solvent on the copolymerization. The results show that the match of TrMA with MMA of smaller size would favour the form of the copolymer with isotactic one-handed helix having higher specific rotation as compared with BzMA ad DPMMA in toluene, but the TrMA/MMA copolymer obtained in tetrahydrofuran possessed a very low specific rotation because of the action of the polar tetrahydrofuran on the anion complex.