Ester Derivatives of Alpha-(hydroxymethyl)acrylates: Itaconate Isomers Giving High Molecular Weight Homopolymers

α-Substituted acrylate polymers [CH 2 C(CO 2 Et)(CH 2 OCOR)] n (R= H, Me, Ph, C 5 H 11 , C 17 H 35 , adamantyl) are synthesized by free radical polymerization