Specific features of “compensating” copolymerization of butyl acrylate with vinyl butyl ether in the presence of triethylboron

Copolymerization of butyl acrylate with a large excess of boiling vinyl butyl ether was carried out in the presence of triethylborane. The analysis of the composition of the obtained product demonstrated that an alternating low-molecular-weight copolymer was predominantly formed. The formation of macromolecules occurred by both conventional and controlled radical polymerization (CRP), as evidenced by a bimodal molecular weight distribution. As conversion increased, the mode corresponding to the CRP mechanism shifted toward larger molecular masses. The relative activities of comonomers for the process initiated by triethylborane were calculated.