Determination of Sequence Distribution in Styrene-Butadiene Copolymer I. 1H-NMR Study of Styrene Oligomers
Abstract The 1 H-NMR spectra of styrene oligomers were measured as a model of styrene sequences in SBR. The ortho-phenyl proton, methine proton, and methylene proton signals shift to a higher magnetic field as the degree of polymerization increased. The methine proton signal split into two peaks, reflecting the tacticity. The methylene proton flanked by methylene and methine protons had a higher chemical shift value than the methylene proton flanked by two methine protons. It is demonstrated that the average sequence length of the styrene units in SBR can be determined by the relative intensity ratio of the two methylene proton signals. It is also found that the fraction of styrene sequences longer than 6 units can be estimated from the relative intensity of ortho-phenyl proton signals resonated higher than 6.7 ppm.