Determination of Absolute Rate Constants for Radical Polymerization and Copolymerization of Ethyl α-Chloroacrylate: Effects of Substituents on Reaction Rates of Monomer and Polymer Radical

The propagation and termination rate constants (kp and kt) for the radical polymerization of ethyl a-chloroacrylate (ECA) were determined by the rotating sector method kp = 1660 and kt = 3.33 × 108 L/mol•s at 30° C. The absolute rate constants for cross-propagations in copolymerization were evaluated from the kp determined for ECA or those for common monomers and the monomer reactivity ratios. The reactivities of ECA and poly-(ECA) radicals estimated as the rate constants of cross-propagations were accounted for by using equations relating these rate constants to the polar and resonance effects of the substituents. ECA was highly reactive toward various polymer radicals as expected from the resonance effects of the carbethoxy and chloro substituents. The poly(ECA) radical was found to be more reactive than common polymer radicals. The reactivity of a polymer radical in cross-propagation seemed to increase with increasing electron-accepting power by facilitating electron transfer from a monomer required for the new C-C bond formation.