Mercuriation and iodination of linear copolymers of methyl acrylate and N-vinyl carbazole

Lynear copolymer of methyl acrylate and N-vinyl carbazole was prepared in benzene using AIBN as an initiator and then the copolymer was mercuriated using mercury (II) trifluoroacetate (MTFA). The mercuriated copolymers were soluble in THF so they were purified by precipitating and reprecipitating indistilled water and methanol from the THF solution for several times. The mercury reagent MTFA had no reaction with acrylate group while the carbazole residues were mecuriated under the same condition. The mecurited copolymers were characterized using IR, NMR and atomic absorption analysis