Iron(III) porphyrin catalyzed ionic liquid mediated polymerization of methylmethacrylate

A novel application of iron(III)porphyrin catalyst, 5,10,15,20 − tetrakis − (2′,6′-dichlorophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) chloride is reported for the reaction of methyl methacrylate with hydrogen peroxide in imidazolium ionic liquids at ambient temperature. The reaction furnished polymethyl methacrylate in 75–94% yields. The yield of the polymer was optimized upon changing the reaction media, ratio of catalyst, oxidant and substrate, reaction time and quenchers. The polymethyl methacrylate was secured as highly stereoregular with predominantly syndiotactic sequences as analyzed with the aid of NMR (1H and 13C) and infrared spectroscopy. Besides, the number-average molecular weights (Mn) were attained in the range of 15,000 to 55,000 with narrow polydispersity (~1.1–1.9) as calculated using gel permeable chromatography (GPC).