Process for selective epoxidation of unsaturated (meth)acrylates, new functional (meth)acrylates obtained and their application to the synthesis of new polymers

A (meth) acrylic epoxide of formula V:

• ##STR50## wherein:
• X is oxygen or sulfur, a --NH radical, --NR.sup.3 in which R.sup.3 is an alkyl group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and oxyalkylene --O--(CH.sub.2).sub.n in which n is an integer ranging from 3 to 16, inclusive,
• R.sup.1 is a hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and
• R.sup.4 is a hydrocarbon chain comprising 2 to 20 carbon atoms, chosen from straight-chain or branched alkyl, monocyclic or polycyclic cycloalkyl or heterocycloalkyl, and alkylaryl chains, said hydrocarbon chain comprising an oxirane group with the exception of vinylnorbornyl and dicyclopentenyloxyethyl epoxides.

An opened (meth) acrylic epoxide of formula V:

• ##STR51## wherein:
• X is oxygen or sulfur, an --NH radical, --NR.sup.3 in which R.sup.3 is an alkyl group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or oxyalkylene --O--(CH.sub.2).sub.n, in which n is an integer ranging from 3 to 16 inclusive;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen or alkyl having 1-5 C atoms;
• and
• R.sup.4 is a hydrocarbon chain comprising 2-20 C atoms, which is straight-chain or branched-chain alkyl, monocyclic or polycyclic cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl or alkylaryl, said hydrocarbon chain comprising an opened oxirane group with the exception of that from vinylnorbornyl and dicyclopentenyloxyethyl epoxides,
• with the proviso that if R.sup.4 is straight-chain or branched chain alkyl, X is not oxygen.