ALKALINE-HYDROLYSIS OF METHACRYLATES

The hydrolysis of a number of methacrylates in a 2,5% water‐alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxide at 25°C was investigated. The hydrolysis of the ester group in 2‐(N‐methylanilino)ethyl(III), 3‐ and 4‐dimethylaminobenzyl‐(IV, V)‐2‐carboxyphenyl (VI) and 2,2,2‐trichloroethyl (VII) methacrylate proceeded at approximately the same rate as in methyl methacrylate (I) and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (II); within 25 min, some 80% of the original esters were hydrolyzed. In alkaline solutions of 1,2,2,2‐tetrachloroethyl (VIII), 2‐(1,2,2,2‐tetrachloroethoxy)ethyl (IX) and 1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐2,2,2‐trichloroethyl(X) methacrylates, the rate of hydrolysis of the ester group is decreasing in the order VIII>IX>X. The hydrolysis of the ester group was characterized by the rate constants of second order. © 1979 Hüthig & Wepf Verlag, Basel