POLYMERIZATION OF AZABUTADIENE (AZINE) DERIVATIVES - PREPARATION OF A STEREOREGULAR POLYMER FROM PROPIONALDEHYDE AZINE

Polymerizations of azine compounds (RCH = NN = CHR, R = C2H5 or CH3) were carried out by various anionic initiators. Oligomers of these monomers were obtained with n-BuLi or C2H5ZnCl as initiators. Highly crystalline and stereoregular polymers were obtained when the polymerizations of propionaldehyde azine (PrAz) were carried out with some of the Grignard reagents: High polymers were prepared by CH3MgI. The structure of polymers obtained was investigated by IR, Raman, H-1 NMR, and C-13 NMR spectroscopy, indicating that these azine polymers are composed of a trans-1,4-addition unit. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the polymers show that these polymers are highly crystalline. The thermogravimetric analysis of these polymers shows that a gradual weight loss starts at about 120-degrees-C.