Novel ring-substituted isobutyl phenylcyanoacrylates, RPhCH=C(CN)CO2CH2CH(CH3)2, where R is 2-fluoro-5-iodo, 2-fluoro-6-iodo, 2-trifluoromethyl, 3-trifluoromethyl, 4-trifluoromethyl, 2-trifluoromethoxy, 3-trifluoromethoxy, 4-trifluoromethoxy, 2,4,5-trimethyl, 2,4,6-trimethyl, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl, pentamethyl, 2,3-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy, 2,4-dimethoxy-3-methyl, 2,4-dimethoxy-6-methyl were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-substituted benzaldehydes and isobutyl cyanoacetate and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR. The acrylates were copolymerized with styrene in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis.