The chemical transformation of nitrile to oxazoline functionality via a soluble zinc salt-catalyzed reaction was conducted on a series of nitrile-containing copolymers, i.e., styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and nitrile rubbers. The results show that triad tacticity of the acrylonitrile groups is important in understanding the relative reactivity of SAN copolymers. Furthermore, the dielectric properties of the comonomer is also a prime factor in understanding the different degrees of reactivity of SAN, nitrile rubbers, and its hydrogenated analog forms. Enhanced reaction rates are noted with higher dielectric constants.