Abstract
The article describes the synthesis and characterization of N‐aryl itaconimide monomers such as: N‐(p‐chlorophenyl) itaconimide (PI)/N‐(m‐chlorophenyl) itaconimide (MI)/N‐(o‐chlorophenyl) itaconimide (OI) and its copolymerization behavior with MMA. The homopolymers and copolymers of N‐aryl itaconimides and methyl methacrylate (MMA, M~2~) were synthesized by varying the mol fraction of N‐aryl itaconimides in the initial feed from 0.1 to 0.5 using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvent. Copolymer composition was determined using ^1^H‐NMR spectroscopy [by taking the ratio of intensities of signals due to OCH~3~ of MMA (δ = 3.59 ppm) and the aromatic proton (δ = 7.2–7.5 ppm) of N‐aryl itaconimides] and percent nitrogen content. The reactivity ratios were found to be r~1~ = 1.33 and r~2~ = 0.36 (PI‐MMA) r~1~ = 1.15 and r~2~ = 0.32 (MI‐MMA) and r~1~ = 0.81 and r~2~ = 0.35 (OI‐MMA). Molecular weight as determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography decreased with increasing mol fraction of itaconimides in copolymers. All the polymers had a polydisperstivity index in the range of 1.5–2.6.Thermal characterization was done using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic thermogravimetry in nitrogen atmosphere. Incorporation of these N‐aryl itaconimides in PMMA backbone resulted in an improvement in glass transition temperature (T~g~) and thermal stability. Percent char increased with the increase of PI/MI/OI content in the copolymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2078–2086, 2001