High‐yield synthesis and characterization of 1,2‐bis(p‐vinylphenyl)ethane

The quantitative synthesis and complete characterization of 1,2-bis(p-vinylphenyl)ethane (p,p-BVPE) and its meta-, para-mixed isomers are reported. These crosslinkers copolymerize randomly with p-methylstyrene, leading to random crosslink distributions. The crosslinkers are prepared by Grignard coupling of (m,p)-vinylbenzyl chloride in tetrahydrofuran at low temperature to give the statistical mixture of m,m-, m,p-, and p,p-isomers in quantitative yield. Pure p-vinylbenzyl chloride is converted to pure p,p-BVPE. p,p-BVPE has also been separated from the mixture of isomers. The isomers are characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR and by reversed-phase HPLC. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.