Poly(methyl methacrylate) containing pyrrole moieties in the side chains

Two synthetic routes to copolymers 7 of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with 2‐(N‐pyrrolyl)ethyl methacrylate (PEMA, 11) are compared. Copolymerization of MMA (4) with 2‐bromoethyl methacrylate (BEMA, 3) leads to a precursor copolymer 5. The reactivity ratios are close to unity (rMMA = 0,90, rBEMA = 0,92). The polymer‐analogous reaction of 5 with N‐pyrrolylpotassium (6) runs to 99% conversion of the BEMA units. The synthesis of PEMA (11) is presented. The reactivity ratios of copolymerization of this monomer (11) with MMA (4) are determined to rMMA = 1.05 and rPEMA = 1,65. Copolymers 7 are further characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, gel‐permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry.