Abstract
The study of polymer degradation and the mechanisms involved is essential if materials with improved properties are to be developed. Isotopes and isotopically labelled compounds can be useful tools in studies of reaction mechanisms, offering some unique advantages over the more common techniques. The work presented here details the labelling and analysis of a range of monomers and polymers with deuterium and tritium followed by a preliminary investigation of their usefulness in mechanistic studies. The thesis is divided into four sections as follows:- Chapter one contains a literature survey which describes the use to which isotopes and isotopically labelled compounds have been put in the study of polymer chemistry. Chapter two details the labelling with tritium and analysis by tritium NMR spectroscopy of a range of monomers and polymers. Chapter three describes the labelling with deuterium and analysis by deuterium NMR spectroscopy of a range of monomers and polymers. Chapter four details a study of the kinetics of the degradation of poly([G-3H]-butylmethacrylate) by acid catalysed hydrolysis.