Studies on the microstructure of vinyl/N-phenylmaleimide copolymers by NMR and their applications

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The micro- and stereostructures and sequence distribution of methyl methacrylate (MMA)/N-phenylmaleimide (PMI) and styrene (St)–PMI copolymers were studied in detail with NMR spectroscopy. The MMA–PMI copolymer was in a random sequence distribution and the St–PMI copolymer was alternating in structure. Some micro- and stereoinformation of the MMA–PMI copolymers could be obtained from 1H-NMR spectra. The average number sequence length obtained from the copolymer triad by 13C-NMR spectra was in agreement with that calculated from the reactivity ratios measured by an elemental analyzer. From the triad fraction of the copolymer measured by 13C-NMR, the copolymer chain of MMA–PMI was proved to be a one-order Markov chain. More suitable propagation reactions were proposed from the deviation of sequence distribution of the St–PMI copolymer.