Comparative Study of Synthesis Characterization and Thermal Properties of Homomer and Copolymers of N-Benzylmaleimide

N-Benzylmaleimide (NBMI) was synthesized and subsequently copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) through free-radical polymerization in tetrahydrofuran (THF), using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiators. The synthesized NBMI homopolymer and NBMI-MMA copolymer (CBMI) were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy, solubility studies, intrinsic-viscosity measurements, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The NBMI homopolymer and CBMI copolymer were obtained in yields of 39.5% and 44.0%, respectively, with intrinsic-viscosity values of 0.031 and 0.060 dL/g. FT-IR and 1 H NMR analyses confirmed the consumption of the maleimide carbon–carbon double bond during polymerization, while the characteristic imide-ring structure remained intact. Solubility studies revealed that the CBMI copolymer exhibited favourable solubility in several organic solvents. GPC analysis showed that the copolymer possessed a molecular weight of 25,881 g mol −1 . Furthermore, TGA demonstrated a predominantly single-stage degradation pattern and satisfactory thermal stability. The higher yield and intrinsic viscosity of CBMI compared with the NBMI homopolymer indicate the successful incorporation of MMA into the polymer system. Overall, the results demonstrate that NBMI-MMA copolymer exhibits favourable structural, physicochemical, and thermal characteristics, making it a promising material for potential advanced polymer applications.