Copolymerization of (−)‐ and (±)‐menthyl acrylates

Copolymerizations of (−)‐ and (±)‐menthyl acrylates were carried out and the optical rotation and the optical density ratio, D1372/D1235, which was an index of stereoregularity, were determined. The optical rotation of radically obtained poly[(−)‐menthyl acrylates] were higher and the optical density ratios were lower than those of anionically obtained polymers. The optical density ratios of the anionically obtained copolymers of (−)‐and (±)‐menthyl acrylates descreased with the decrease of (−)‐monomer content in the starting monomers, indicating the decrease in the isotacticity of the copolymers. Thus, the asymmetric effects of optically active menthyl groups on the main chain configurations in anionic polymerization were ascertained.