Propagation Kinetics of the Radical Polymerization of Methylated Acrylamides in Aqueous Solution

Propagation rate coefficients, k(p), of the radical polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (N,N-dimethylprop-2-enamide), N-methylmethacrylamide (N,2-dimethylprop-2-enamide), and methacrylamide (2-methylprop-2-enamide) in aqueous solution are measured via pulsed-laser polymerization in conjunction with size-exclusion chromatography within wide ranges of monomer concentration, temperature, and pressure. As observed for aqueous solutions of other monomers, k(p) decreases significantly towards higher monomer concentration. For methacrylamide, a higher activation energy and a larger volume of activation are found as compared with N,N-dimethylacrylamide. These two activation parameters are almost identical for N-methylmethacrylamide and for N,N-dimethylacrylamide. [GRAPHICS] .