Anionic Polymerization of Methylene Malonate for High-Performance Coatings

Here, we demonstrate the anionic polymerization and the high reactivity of the novel monomer diethyl methylene malonate (DEMM). At room temperature and under atmospheric conditions, water and anionic functional groups (i.e., carboxyl, boronic, and phenol) quickly initiate DEMM. The polymerization of DEMM in water and the final molecular weight of the polymer were both demonstrated to be pH-dependent. Systematically, investigations were conducted to study the conversion rate of DEMM with various functional groups, and the polymerization was verified to occur with anionic groups using a carboxylate-initiated DEMM system. For coating applications, we also investigated a multifunctional derivative monomer called (DEMM)₆ that is an oligomeric polyester of DEMM esterified with butanediol that contains on average six repeat units of reactive DEMM (commercially known as Forza B3000 XP). The incorporation of 15 wt % (DEMM)₆ into latex containing methacrylate acid as a functional monomer yielded cross-linked coatings with a gel content of 76.25 wt % that had a 289% improvement in rub-resistance performance compared to controls (without (DEMM)₆). This study provides a facile methodology to synthesize cross-linked latex coatings at room temperature.