The homogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated with butanal (PrCHO), pentanal (BuCHO), and hexanal (C5H11CHO) was carried out in dioxane. It was found that the rate of polymerization can be expressed by Rp=k[MMA]1.5[RCHO]0.5. The polymerization was confirmed to proceed through a radical mechanism. Overall activation energies, when PrCHO, BuCHO, and C5H11CHO were used, were estimated to be 37.2, 36.3, and 36.0 kJ mol−1, respectively. Instead of MMA, many kinds of vinyl monomer were applied. Various methacrylates and acrylates could be polymerized, but not styrene and acrylonitrile. The effect of solvent on the rate of polymerization was studied.

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate(MMA) initiated by poly(formylstyrene) (PFS) was carried out in p-dioxane at 85°C. The rate of polymerization was expressed by the following equation: Rp = const. [PFS]0.43[MMA]1.31. The polymerization proceeded homogeneously through a radical mechanism. The initiating ability of PFS was found to be larger than that of benzaldehyde indicating a macromolecular effect on the polymerization.

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