Initiation of polymerization by ligand displacement
Abstract
Manganese(III) acetylacetonate, in the presence of a suitable electron donor such as dimethyl sulphoxide, is an active, selective, initiator of free-radical polymerization at 25°, the order for the monomers studied being acrylonitrile > methyl methacrylate > styrene: suggested mechanisms for selective and nonselective components of the reaction involve ligand displacement.