Emulsion polymerization of esters of itaconic acid

A method for polymerization comprising:

• (a) supplying a first monomer having the following structure:
• wherein R1 and R2 are selected from an alkyl group or an aromatic group or a cylic alkyl group and combinations thereof and R3 is selected from an alkyl group, aromatic functionality, heteroaromatic functionality, cyclic alkyl group, heterocyclic group or combinations thereof;
• (b) a second monomer having the following structure:
• wherein R4 is selected from a hydrogen, alkyl group, aromatic group or itself providing carboxylic acid functionality;
• (c) optionally, one or more monomers comprising a radically polymerizable vinyl type monomer;
• forming an emulsion of (a), (b) and optionally (c) by placing said monomers in water along with a surfactant and a water soluble free radical initiator and polymerizing said monomers at a temperature at or below 60° C. and forming a corresponding random copolymer structure:
• wherein R5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group or a substituent containing a vinyl group and R6 is an aromatic ring, an ester group, a nitrile group, a subsituent containing a vinyl group and/or and acetate group, the value of “a” is such that the indicated repeat unit is present at a level of greater than 50 wt. %, the value of “b” is such that the indicated repeat unit is present at a level of 0.05 to 5.0 wt. %, and the balance is repeat unit “c” which may be present at a level of 0.0 wt % to 49.85 wt. %;
• and
• wherein said polymeric structure is in the form of particles having a particle size of 10 nm to 900 nm and at a weight average molecular weight value of greater than or equal to 30,000 g/mole and contains 13C NMR syndiotactic triad levels equal to or above 58%.