Excluded volume effects on polymer reaction rates

Abstract

The rates of reaction of acid chloride groups with nitrophenol groups were measured with the groups attached to polymer chains. The average degree of substitution was kept low, near to one or less groups per chain. It was found that the interpolymer reaction rates decreased several fold in dilute solution for high polymers compared with the rates in more concentrated solutions or with those for low‐molecular‐weight polymers. The results were compared with the models proposed by Morawetz and the effect was of the predicted magnitude. The results also confirmed Morawetz' prediction that smaller effects could be expected for terminally substituted than for randomly substituted polymers.