Abstract
In the polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (I) during its quaternization with p-MeC6H4SO3Me (II) in benzene, the tosylate counterion was not the initiating species, and the polymerization may proceed by a mechanism involving the formation of ionene polymers (III) containing the pyridinium groups in the chain backbone. The treatment of I with II in benzene at room temperature and 60.deg. gave 95:5 and 25:75 4-vinyl-N-methylpyridinium p-toluenesulfonate-poly(4-vinyl-N-methylpyridinium p-toluenesulfonate) mixtures (NMR), resp.