Synthesis and styrene copolymerization of novel hydroxy, methyl and methoxy ring-trisubstituted phenylcyanoacrylates

Novel hydroxy, methyl and methoxy ring-trisubstituted 2-methoxyethyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH2OCH3 (where R is 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy-6-methyl, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy, 4-hydoxy-3,5-dimethyl, 2,3,4-trimethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethoxy, 2,4,6-trimethoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxy) were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The acrylates were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-trisubstituted benzaldehydes and 2-methoxyethyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR. All the acrylates were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.