%0 journal article
%@ 1946-4274
%A Iqbal, D.,Melchert, C.,Behl, M.,Lendlein, A.,Beuermann, S.

%D 2012
%J MRS Online Proceedings Library
%N 
%P 1-6 
%R doi:10.1557/opl.2012.423
%T Modeling of Free Radical Polymerization of Azobenzene-based Linear Polymers
%U https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2012.423
 
%X Modeling of free radical polymerizations of the liquid-crystalline monomer 6-[4-(4-heptyloxyphenylazo)phenoxy]hexylacrylate using the PREDICI software package is reported. The model accounts for all elemental reactions that were identified to be important for radical polymerizations of acrylate-type monomers. On the basis of butyl acrylate kinetic data a remarkable agreement between number average molar masses from modelling (Mn,sim) and from experiments (Mn,exp) is observed: Mn,sim = 17800 g·mol−1 and Mn,exp = 17400 g·mol−1. Similarly, dispersity values of 1.8 and 1.6 were determined via modelling and experiments, respectively. It is shown that the assumption of butyl acrylate kinetics provides a reasonable approximation even for acrylate-based monomers having mesogenic substituents.