Crosslinking free-radical polymerization of dimethacrylates controlled by a chain-transfer catalyst

The effects of cobalt porphyrin on the kinetics of crosslinking free-radical polymerization of ethylene and diethylene glycol dimethacrylates and on the structure and properties of the synthesized polymers were studied. It was shown that cobalt porphyrin significantly affects the kinetics of polymerization and the structure of network polymers. The structural-kinetic effect, which is defined by the content of cobalt porphyrin and the structure of the initial dimethacrylate, is stipulated by the formation of intermediate low-molecular-mass products, polyfunctional methacrylates bearing pendant C=C bonds, via the catalytic chain-transfer reaction. The low-molecular-mass polymerization products were characterized by IR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography.