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Abstract
Novel copolymers of vinyl acetate and oxy ring-substituted ethyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2C2H5 (where R is 2-methoxy, 3-methoxy, 4-methoxy, 2-ethoxy, 4-ethoxy, 4-propoxy, 4-butoxy, 2,3-dimethoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy, 2,5-dimethoxy, 3,4-dimethoxy, 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, 2,4,6-trimethoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxy) were prepared in solution with radical initiation at 70C. The propenoates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and ethyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. Thermal behavior of the copolymers was studied by DSC (Tg) and TGA. Decomposition of the copolymers in nitrogen occurred in two steps, first in the 160-350ºC range with residue (2.2-25.3 wt%), which then decomposed in the 500-650ºC range.
