Fluorescence technique to study free-radical polymerization of 2-vinylnaphthalene

A novel technique based on steady-state fluorescence measurements was introduced to study free-radical polymerization of 2-vinylnaphthalene (2VN). Both spectroscopic and kinetic studies of polymerization of 2VN in toluene solution have been carried out over the temperature range between 50 and 70°C. The effective radius of interaction of 2VN required for excimer formation was found to be around 3.5 nm. The product of reaction rate constant k_p and steady-state radical concentration [M•], k_p[M•] was calculated for 2-vinylnaphthalene (2VN) polymerization carried out at the temperatures 50, 60, 65, and 70°C. A sudden change in the value of k_p[M•] was observed above 60°C, indicating that polymerization proceeds effectively just at and above this temperature.