Control of crosslinking free-radical copolymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate with alkyl methacrylates of various structures and macromolecular design of copolymers

The possibility of controlling the crosslinking free-radical copolymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate with alkyl methacrylates of various structures and of the macromolecular design of the resulting copolymers through the use of small additives of cobalt porphyrin, which terminates polymer chain growth via catalytic chain transfer, has been studied. It has been shown that steric hindrances to the interaction of a propagating radical R* with pendant C=C bonds that are created by bulky substituents of dodecyl methacrylate provide an additional factor that impedes intrachain cyclization and crosslinking reactions that give rise to network structures.