Facile Synthesis and Polymerization of Ether-Substituted Methacrylates

New difunctional methacrylate monomers containing β heteroatoms have been synthesized from α-hydroxymethylacrylate estcrs or α-chloromethylacryloyl chloride. These monomers are more reactive than their alkane counterparts (e.g., ethacrylates). giving polymers with molecular weights comparable to poly(itaconate)s. The simple synthetic approach described allows a wide range of difunctionalized acrylate monomers to be produced. Variations in both ester and ether substituents were explored for ease of synthesis and polymerization.