On the mechanism of radiation-induced polymerization of vinyl monomers in ionic liquid

An attempt was made to investigate the mechanism controlling the radiation-induced polymerization of vinyl monomers in room temperature ionic liquids. For that purpose, copolymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was initiated by 60Co gamma radiation in a moisture-stable ionic liquid, [choline chloride][ZnCl2], and its mixture with THF (4:1 v/v). By analyzing the product composition with FTIR for a series of poly(St-co-MMA) samples, it was found that the mole fraction of St in the copolymer is linearly proportional to the mole fraction of St in the feed. Therefore, radiation polymerization in ionic liquid and its mixture with organic solvent is suggested to be a radical propagating process.