Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of benzyloxy, methylphenyl, acetoxy, acetyl, cyano, and amino ring-substituted 2-methoxyethyl phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel ring-substituted 2-methoxyethyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH2OCH3 (where R is 2-benzyloxy, 3-benzyloxy, 4-benzyloxy, 3-(4-methylphenyl), 4-(4-methylphenyl), 4-acetoxy, 2-acetyl, 3-acetyl, 4-acetamido, 2-cyano, 3-cyano, 4-cyano, 4-dimethylamino, 4-diethylamino) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The acrylates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and 2-methoxyethyl 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