RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE MONOMERS IN VARIOUS SOLVENTS

The NMR-spectra of acrylamide and polyacrylamide in various mixtures of water with DMSO have been studied as well as of N-vinylpyrrolidone and its polymer in various solvents. The results indicate that, while the carbonyl groups of acrylamide and N-vinylpyrrolidone in aqueous solution are practically completely bonded with water molecules, in the case of the corresponding polymers only some of the carbonyl groups take part in the formation of H-bonds because of the hydrophobic interactions arising in aqueous solutions of these polymers. These results make it possible to propose a mechanism for the solvent effects in the radical polymerization of water-soluble monomers.