ABSTRACT:The copolymers of N-vinylcarbazole/methyl acrylate (V/M) of different compositions were prepared by solution polymerisation using 2,2'-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator and their composition was determined from quantitative 13 C{ 1 H} NMR spectroscopy. Reactivity ratios for the comonomers were calculated using the Kelen-Tudos (KT) and non-linear error in variable methods (EVM). The complete spectral assignment of the overlapping 1 H and 13 C{ 1 H} spectra of the copolymers were done with the help of Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT), two dimensional heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) and total correlated spectroscopy (TOCSY). The assignments of various compositional sequences were done in the carbon resonance signals of the methoxy region of M unit, the methine region of both V and M units and the methylene region of both V and M units.KEY WORDS Poly(N-vinylcarbazole-co-methyl acrylate)s / Two Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (2D NMR) Spectroscopy / Microstructure / Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) has been the subject of intensive investigation because it is one of the most sensitive photoconductive organic polymers. 1, 2 It has important applications in electrophotography, microlithography, electrochromic display devices, photoelectric devices, electroluminescent displays, and photothermoplastic imaging. 3 PVK is a stiff, brittle substance with poor mechanical and processing characteristics. Copolymerization with suitable monomers could soften the resulting product leading to better film properties and improve its mechanical properties. The copolymerization of N-vinylcarbazole with monomers like alkyl acrylates and alkyl methacrylates has been studied by several investigators. [4][5][6] The determination of microstructure in copolymers is of value in establishing structure-property relationship. 7 It is well known that NMR spectroscopy is probably the most effective method for characterizing the microstructure of polymers. [8][9][10] Crone and Natansohn 11 have reported the NMR analysis of microstructure of poly(methyl acrylate-co-N-vinylcarbazole). They have assigned the aliphatic and aromatic region in the proton spectra and aromatic region in the carbon spectra of the copolymers. However, some of the carbon and proton signals of the carbazole ring are erroneously assigned by them. They have reported the sequence distribution in the copolymers using C-1, 8a and H-1 resonance signals of the carbazole ring and the carbonyl carbon resonance signal of the M unit in the copolymer. However, they have not described the sequence distribution using the aliphatic region of the copolymer † To whom all correspondence should be addressed.
spectra.Dais et al. 12 have reported the complete assignments of 1 H and 13 C spectra of PVK with the help of two-dimensional NMR techniques. In our earlier publication, 13 we reported the microstructure of Nvinylcarbazole/vinyl acetate copolymers using one and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. In continuation of our earlier w...