PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE WITH SECONDARY SILANES

The photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with secondary silane (PhMeSiH(2) and Ph(2)SiH(2)) was carried out to produce poly(MMA)s containing silane moieties. While the molecular weights and polymerization yields decreased, the TGA residue yields and IR vSi-H relative intensities increased with augmentation of molar ratio of silane over MMA. The sterically less bulky silane PhMeSiH(2) afforded poly (MMA)s having somewhat higher molecular weights and TGA residue yields than the sterically bulkier silane Ph(2)SiH(2). The silanes seemed to influence on the photopolymerization as both chain initiation and chain transfer agents.