Relationship between reduction of ceric ion with poly(vinyl alcohol) and graft copolymerization

Various poly(vinyl alcohol) samples were preliminarily subjected to oxidation treatment with sodium hypochlorite, and the reduction of ceric ion and subsequently initiation in the graft copolymerization in the system containing methyl methacrylate were investigated. The reduction behavior of ceric ion could be subdivided into three parts, each of different reaction rate. In the initial stage of the reaction, there was observed rapid cleavage of the backbone chain of poly(vinyl alcohol) with ceric salts. The amount A of cleavage was proportional to the amount of ceric ion reduced at the initial fastest rate for various samples of different extents of oxidation; cleavage of 1 mole required ca. 10 moles of reduction of ceric ion. Higher carbonyl contents of the sample caused increased A. Graft polymerization was carried out in the same system with the addition of the monomer. The amounts of grafted chains produced were determined, and approximately one mole of grafted chains was obtained for per mole of cleavage. The copolymer is concluded to be blocklike in structure. The contribution of the carbonyl groups in poly(vinyl alcohol) sample to the initiation of the polymerization should be emphasized.