The synthesis of methacrylates having an acetylene moiety activated by an electron-withdrawing group and a radical polymerization of the methacrylates are described. The methacrylates were prepared from alkynoic acids via co-hydroxyalkyl alkynoates in two steps. This was done by the radical polymerization of the synthesized methacrylates, polymthacrylates having the acetylene moieties activated by the electron-withdrawing group as the side-chain that were obtained in high yields. In the radical polymerization, the acetylene moiety slightly hindered the polymerization of the methacrylate moiety. The influences of the acetylene moiety decreased with the introduction of substituents at the acetylene moiety. The polymer reaction of the obtained polymer having the acetylenic side chain with thiols gave the corresponding polymers having the beta-alkylmercaptoenoate moiety in high yields. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.