Alternating copolymers of isobutylene type monomers

A copolymer composition comprising a copolymer comprised of at least 30 mol % of residues having the following alternating structure:

• wherein R1 is linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 is selected from the group consisting of methyl, linear, cyclic or branched C1 to C20 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl, W is selected from the group consisting of —CN, —X, and —C(═O)—Y, where Y is selected from the group consisting of —NR32, —O—R5—O—C(═O)—NR32, and —OR4, R3 is selected from the group consisting of H, linear or branched C1 to C20 alkyl, and linear or branched C1 to C20 alkylol, R4 is selected from the group consisting of H, poly(ethylene oxide), poly)propylene oxide), linear or branched C1 to C20 alkyl, alkylol, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl, linear or branched C1 to C20 fluoroalkyl, fluoroaryl and fluoroaralkyl, a siloxane radical, a polysiloxane radical, an alkyl siloxane radical, an ethoxylated trimethylsilyl siloxane radical and a propoxylated trimethylsilyl siloxane radical, R5 is a divalent linear or branched C1 to C20 alkyl linking group, and X is a halide, wherein the copolymer is substantially free of maleate monomer segments and fumarate monomer segments and the copolymer composition is substantially free of Lewis acids and transition metals.

A copolymer composition prepared by copolymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers by free radical polymerization in an environment substantially free of transition metals, Lewis acids, maleate-type monomers and fumarate-type monomers, resulting in a copolymer comprising at least 30 mol % of segments comprising alternating residues derived from a donor monomer and an acceptor monomer, wherein at least 15 mol % of the copolymer comprises a donor monomer having the following structure (I):

• wherein R1 is linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 is selected from the group consisting of methyl, linear, cyclic or branched C1 to C20 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl, and at least 15 mol % of the copolymer comprises an ethylenically unsaturated acceptor monomer.

A copolymer composition comprising a copolymer comprised of at least 50 mol % of segments comprising alternating residues derived from a donor monomer selected from the group consisting of isobutylene, diisobutylene, dipentene, isoprenol and mixtures thereof, and an acrylic acceptor monomer, wherein said copolymer is substantially free of maleate-type monomer segments and fumarate-type monomer segments and said copolymer composition is substantially free of transition metals and Lewis acids.