Synthesis and solid‐state properties of crosslinked alternating copolymers of phenyl vinylethylene carbonate and N‐substituted maleimides

ABSTRACT The copolymers of phenyl vinylethylene carbonate (PVEC) and N‐phenylmaleimide were prepared with various monomer feeds by using a radical initiator. These copolymers were crosslinked by aminolysis between hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) and cyclic carbonate moiety in the side‐chain to obtain the networked polymers having the hydroxyurethane structure. Furthermore, the crosslinked copolymers having the polar cyclic carbonate in the side‐chain were synthesized from PVEC and several bifunctional maleimides, and their double networked polymers were prepared with HMDA. These copolymers and networked polymers exhibited color changes depending on their structures based on the acid–base switching in the solid‐state. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45247.