Abstract
Charge‐transfer complexes in solutions of ethylmaleimide and stilbenes have been characterized by spectroscopy. The stoichiometric compositions of these complexes have been shown by Job's method to be 1:1 molar complexes. The value of the equilibrium constant K for complex formation of ethylmaleimide with stilbene derivative increases in the following probable order: ethylmaleimide–stilbene ≪ ethylmaleimide–dimethylaminostilbene (DMAS) < ethylmaleimide–aminodimethylaminostilbene (ADMAS). From the calculations of the electron density of the highest occupied level for the stilbenes, the charge transfer in ethylmaleimide–DMAS and ethylmaleimide–ADMAS is attributed to n → π transition, while the charge transfer in ethylmaleimide‐stilbene is attributed to n → π transition. Copolymerization was carried out by γ‐irradiation in benzene or THF solutions of the comonomer pairs. The alternating tendency of copolymerization was larger in the ethylmaleimide–DMAS system than in the ethylmaleimide–stilbene system. This can be explained by assuming resonance structures in the transition state of addition reaction of DMAS to the propagating ethylmaleimide unit. In the copolymerization of ethylmaleimide with ADMAS, the effect of the penultimate unit was more important than in that with DMAS.