Hydrogen bonding interaction between methyl methacrylate and alcohols

The hydrogen bonding between methyl methacrylate and primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols has been studied by using FTIR spectroscopic method. The most likely association complex between alcohol and methyl methacrylate is 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex through the hydroxyl group of alcohol and the carbonyl group of methyl methacrylate. The formation constant of the 1 : 1 complexes has been calculated using Nash method. It appears that the primary alcohols have larger formation constant than the secondary and tertiary alcohols. The results show that the proton donating power of the alcohols decreases in the order primary > secondary > tertiary and the association constant increases with the increase in carbon chain of the alkyl group of alcohols.