IntroductionIn our previous paper [1] we have shown that it was possible to assign individual configurational sequences of poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, up to the heptad level. The method was based on the deconvolution of the carbonyl signal in the 13 C NMR spectrum by means of the algorithm of maximum likelihood [2] and then by comparison of the intensities of the individual lines with those calculated according to 1 st order Markov statistics. However, in the case of a copolymer, due to the complexity of the spectrum this method permitted only assignment of the predominating sequences as it was shown for the copolymer of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate [3], PMMA/EA. Based on these first results we have developed a new method of incremental calculation of chemical shifts of the carbonyl signal for different configurational-compositional sequences at triad and pentad level. Therefore, having both intensities and respective line positions, we were able to simulate the 13 C NMR carbonyl signal for this copolymer [4]. Now, we would like to test if this incremental method is applicable to describe the carbonyl signal observed in the 13 C NMR spectrum of the model homopolymer, PMMA.
ExperimentalPredominantly syndiotactic PMMA was synthesized by free radical polymerization. The methyl methacrylate monomer was placed in a double-coated reactor under nitrogen and then heated up to 78°C with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as radical initiator. Predominantly isotactic PMMA was prepared by anionic polymerization under argon atmosphere at -78°C in a mixture of toluene and tetrahydrofuran as a solvent, according to the method described previously [5], using fluorenyllithium as the initiator.The 100 MHz 13 C NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker DRX 400 for 5 w. % solutions in CDCl 3 at 40°C. In order to obtain quantitative spectra a gated decoupling sequence was applied even though the nuclear Overhauser effect does not influence the carbonyl signal [6] and the time delay between the pulses has to be set at least 5 times greater than the longest relaxation time. Since T 1(C=O) ≅ 3 ÷ 6 sec, the delay was set to 30 sec [7]. A reasonable signal to noise ratio was attained after about 1200 scans. The quantitative nature of the spectra was verified by comparison of the intensities for the C=O, α-CH 3 and α-C signals.
Results and discussion
Syndiotactic PMMAIn the previous publication [4] we have shown that the 13 C NMR chemical shifts for different configurational sequences of PMMA/EA observed in the carbonyl signal can be described in an empirical manner. For example, the positions of the two symmetric methyl methacrylate triads can be calculated as: Sciences, Institute of Coal Chemistry, ul. Sowinskiego 5, Poland Abstract -A method of incremental calculation of chemical shifts in the 13 C NMR spectra for different configurational-compositional sequences, developed for copolymer of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate, PMMA/EA, has been applied to poly(methyl methacrylate) samples of different tacticity. The numer...