Polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and methacrylate <Emphasis Type="Italic">via</Emphasis> Michael-type addition

Summary 2-Hydroxyethyl acrylate was polymerized by use of few basic andlor nucleophilic initiators. The reactions proceeded via Michael-type addition of hydroxyl groups to carbon-carbon double bonds. The resulted polymers have an ether-ester chain structure and M_n values in order of up to 9000. The results were compared with those obtained previously for 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, where just oligomers having M_n of ca 1000 had been achieved.