Free-Radical Polymerization of Maleimide Derivatives in the Presence of Chiral Substances

Abstract Free-radical homo-and copolymerizations of substituted maleimide derivatives in the presence of chiral substances have been reinvestigated. Optically active copolymers were obtained from the copolymerizations of styrene with N-t-butylmaleimide and N-phenylcitraconimide. Optically active homopolymers were obtained from N-t-butyl-, N-isopropyl-, N-benzyl-, and N-α-phenethylmaleimides, but not from N-p-tolyl-and N-triphenylmethylmaleimides. The [α] values of poly-N-benzylmaleimide increase both with increasing chiral substance concentration and monomer concentration.