Copolymerization of cyclopentadiene with styrene by methylaluminoxane catalyst

Random copolymerization of cyclopentadiene (CPD) and styrene initiated by methylaluminoxane was investigated. The copolymer was analyzed using FT-IR, 1H-NMR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The reactivity ratios of the monomers were rCPD = 19.53, rstyrene = 0.60. A single glass transition temperature is observed for each copolymer, which is in agreement with a random type copolymer structure. And a cationic initiation mechanism was speculated based on the polymerization results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.