Study of the nature of radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate with “aged” chromium(II) acetate/benzoyl peroxide

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in DMF with “aged” chromium (II) acetate (Cr(Ac2)) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO), previously formulated as a living radical polymerization, was investigated. The reaction between Cr(Ac)2 and BPO gives besides N‐methylformamidomethyl benzoate (3) the N‐methylformamidomethylchromium(III) cation (6) as intermediate, which itself may react with BPO with the formation of additional free radicals as compared with the thermolysis of BPO. Thus, the polymerization of MMA in this system could be shown to be a normal radical one with free and uncomplexed radicals. The increase of the degree of polymerization with aging and monomer conversion is explained by the decreasing rate of the radical forming reactions and the onset of the gel effect.