Hindered, 1,1-disubstituted monomers. Chain transfer to benzene in the radical polymerisation of di-n-butyl itaconate

The transfer constant to benzene in the radical polymerisation of di-n-butyl itaconate, DBI, was measured at 60 °C and found to have the value of 2.2 × 10−3. This value is surprisingly high considering that benzene has no readily extractable hydrogen atoms and is usually considered to be a relatively inert solvent in radical polymerisations. The high values of transfer constants in the radical polymerisation of itaconates must be taken into consideration when planning the tailored polymerisation of these monomers.