Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel fluoro, methoxy and methyl ring-disubstituted octyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel fluoro, methoxy, and methyl ring-disubstituted octyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2(CH2)6CH3 (where R is 2-fluoro-3-methoxy, 2-fluoro-4-methoxy, 2-fluoro-5-methoxy, 2-fluoro-6-methoxy, 3-fluoro-4-methoxy, 4-fluoro-3-methoxy, 2-fluoro-5-methyl, 2-fluoro-6-methyl, 3-fluoro-4-methyl, 4-fluoro-2-methyl, 4-fluoro-3-methyl) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The acrylates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-disubstituted benzaldehydes and octyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR. All the acrylates were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis