Polyfvinyl cinnamate

As with poly(vinyl alcohol), polyfvinyl cinnamate) is prepared by chemical modification of another polymer rather than from monomer . One process is to treat poly(vinyl alcohol) with cinnamoyl chloride and pyridine but this is rather slow. Use of the Schotten Baumann reaction will, however, allow esterification to proceed at a reasonable rate. In one example s poly(vinyl alcohol) of degree of polymerisation 1400 and degree of saponification of 95% was dissolved in water. To this was added a concentrated potassium hydroxide solution and then cinnamoyl chloride in methyl ethyl ketone. The product was, in effect a vinyl alcohol-vinyl cinnamate copolymer Figure 14.8)... 

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