Merck, M27301-18L, Methyl acrylate

Methyl acrylate is an acrylic monomer. It is useful in the preparation of polymers having rigid, flexible, ionic, nonionic, hydrophobic, or hydrophilic properties. Mechanism of the copolymerization of ethylene and α-olefins with methyl acrylate has been studied. Heck reaction of iodobenzene with methyl acrylate in the presence of triethylamine and sodium carbonate has been reported. The reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) bulk polymerization of methyl acrylate using 1-phenylethyl dithiobenzoate and 2-(2-cyanopropyl) dithiobenzoate (RAFT agents) has been studied. Reactive intermediates formed during the Heck reaction of methyl acrylate have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy.