Electrochemical polymerization of acrylonitrile with quaternary salts

The electrochemical polymerization of acrylonitrile was carried out in the solutions of tetrabutylammonium bromide and tetrabutylphosphonium bromide in N,N-dimethylformamide in a divided electrolytic cell. The formation of polyacrylonitrile of high molecular weight (7.6 × 10⁴) took place in the cathode compartment. The kinetics of the polymerization was investigated for different initial monomer concentrations, current levels, and electrode materials. The polymerization mechanism is anionic.