Copolymerization of PEO Macromonomers with Alkyl Acrylates and Methacrylates

Copolymerization of PEO Macromonomers with Alkyl Acrylates and Methacrylates 

High conversions (close to 100%) can be obtained by the dispersion copolymerization of PEO-MA with butyl acrylate initiated by a water-soluble initiator (VA) [80]. The conversion curves have a shape similar to that for the dispersion copolymerization of PEO-MA with styrene. In runs with AIBN the final conversion was around 90% and/or the polymerization was very slow at high conversion. 

It was reported that with increasing [PEO-VB] ((C1-(EO)53-alkyl-VB, where alkyl chains were Cj, C4 and C7)), the latex particle radius decreased [12] as 

On the other hand, with decreasing alkyl chain length separating the styrene (vinylbenzene) group from PEO the particle size increases. This was interpreted in terms of differences in rl (a reactivity parameter) values. It was assumed that the apparent reactivity of the macromonomer (1/rj) (characterizing the relative reactivity of the macromonomer towards poly(butyl methacrylate) radical) in 

The longer the PEO chain the smaller the particles at the same macromonomer concentration  

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