Maximum quantity allowed is 999
N-Phthalimidyl acrylate (1) and N-phthalimidyl methacrylate (2) are acrylate and methacrylate monomers useful for postpolymerization modification. In polymers with units derived from 1 or 2, the phthalimide moiety undergoes reduction via single-electron transfer (SET) from a catalyst, followed by decarboxylation and hydrogenation with a hydrogen donor, converting into ethylene or propylene units, respectively.1,2) In addition, postpolymerization modifications such as alkene addition via decarboxylation,3) nitroxide radical coupling,3) and phosphonylation through radical–polar crossover (RPC) following decarboxylation,4) have also been reported. These reactions enable the synthesis of copolymers with structures that have been difficult to access using conventional methods, opening new possibilities for functional polymer development. Furthermore, copolymers of 2 with methyl methacrylate have been reported to depolymerize into methyl methacrylate through β-scission under various conditions,5,6) attracting attention from the perspective of polymer recycling.
