Radical copolymerization of N phenylmaleimide(PHMI) and cyclohexene(CH) was carried out with 2

2-azobisisobutyronitrile(AIBN) in various solvents at 60℃.The copolymer composition was determined by elemental analysis and the results showed that the copolymerization of PHMI with CH in chloroform proceeded in homogeneous system to give an alternating copolymer over a wide range of the comonomer composition in the feed.The presence of the formation of the charge transfer complex(CTC) between PHMI and CH in chloroform was not detected by using UV spectra and 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra and there was cis configuration of CH units in the polymer chains which was determined by analysis for 13C-NMR spectra.In addition

the copolymer of PHMI and CH showed a high glass transition temperature (Tg) and excellent thermal stability

e.g.

the Tg and the initial thermal decomposition temperature (Td)were 200℃ and 350℃

respectively

for the alternating copolymer of PHMI and CH.