An electron spin resonance study of the reaction between 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane and methyl-substituted vinyl monomers
Abstract
The reaction of 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane with α-methyl-substituted vinyl monomers, such as α-methylstyrene and methyl methacrylate, gives rise to an e.s.r. spectrum (of the resulting adduct) showing two equivalent protons β to the N(Ȯ) group. Two possible reactions leading to this adduct are (i) the ‘ene’ reaction and (ii) hydrogen-atom abstraction from the methyl group followed by trapping of the resulting radical by 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane. Experiments employing the specifically labelled monomer methyl [β-2H2]methacrylate indicate that the ‘ene’ reaction is responsible for the observed e.s.r. spectrum.