Emulsion Polymerization by Using Chemocleavable Emulsifiers Derived from 1-O-alkylglycerols

Poly(butyl methacrylate) and polystyrene were synthesized by emulsion polymerization using chemocleavable anionic surfactants (1a and 2a) derived from 1-O-alkylglycerols in order to resolve the problem that it is generally difficult to isolate the desired product from persistent emulsions. It has been previously determined that 1a decomposes completely under acidic conditions whereas 2a decomposes completely under both acidic and alkaline conditions. After emulsion polymerization, the emulsions could be easily broken by adding either HCl or NaOH. Further, the polymers could be filtered off very quickly. The polydispersities of these polymers were lower than those of the polymers synthesized by conventional emulsifiers. Further, the Na content values of the former were lower than those of the latter.