Study on soap‐free P(MMA‐EA‐AA or MAA) latex particles with narrow size distribution

Soap‐free poly(methyl methacrylate‐ethyl acrylate‐acrylic acid or methacrylic acid) [P(MMA‐EA‐AA or MAA)] particles with narrow size distribution were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethyl acrylate (EA) and acrylic acid (AA) or methacrylic acid (MAA), and the influences of the mass ratio of core/shell monomers used in the two stages of polymerization ([C/S]_w) and initiator amount on polymerization, particle size and its distribution were investigated by using different monomer addition modes. Results showed that when the batch swelling method was used, the monomer conversion was more than 96.0% and particle size distribution was narrow, and the particle size increased first and then remained almost unchanged at around 600 nm with the [C/S]_w decreased. When the drop‐wise addition method was used, the monomer conversion decreased slightly with [C/S]_w decreased, and large particles more than 750 nm in diameter can be obtained; with the initiator amount increased, the particle size decreased and the monomer conversion had a trend to increase; the particle size distribution was broader and the number of new particles was more in the AA system than in the MAA system; but the AA system was more stable than the MAA system at both low and high initiator amount. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water‐Soluble and pH‐Responsive Polymeric Nanotubes from Cyclic Peptide Templates

Water‐soluble organic nanotubes were prepared by convergently conjugating polymers of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and acrylic acid (AA) to self‐assembling cyclic octapeptides of alternating D and L chirality. The structure of the self‐assembled tubes was characterised in a number of polar solvents, and notably water, by using light scattering, TEM and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. In addition, the self‐assembly into tubes could be controlled by exploiting the pH responsiveness of acrylic acid polymers.     

Studies on Acrylic Emulsion Polymerization Containing Hydrophilic Hydroxyl Monomer in the Presence of Nano‐SiO2 Particles

Emulsion polymerization with nano‐scale SiO₂ particles as seeds composed of methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl acrylate (BA), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and acrylic acid (AA) was studied from varying reaction temperatures, level of SiO₂ particle, HEMA, and emulsifier. The morphology of the emulsion particle was examined with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the addition of nano‐SiO₂ particles decreased the coagulum greatly when its level was lower than 7%. The coagulum also decreased with the increasing of temperature from 65°C to 75°C. The level of HEMA and emulsifier had little influence on the coagulum in the presence of nano‐SiO₂. The particle size of the emulsion increased with the increase of level of nano‐SiO₂ and HEMA. Part of the emulsion particles connected together due to the existence of HEMA, and yet some of the nano‐SiO₂ particles were not covered with polymer.     

Acrylic acid level and adhesive performance and peel master‐curves of acrylic pressure‐sensitive adhesives

Three series of pressure‐sensitive adhesives were prepared with constant glass‐transition temperature, using emulsion polymerization. The monomers chosen were butyl acrylate, 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and acrylic acid (AA). Within each polymer series, the proportion of AA monomer was held constant for each polymer preparation but acrylic ester monomer levels were varied. Adhesion performance was assessed by measurement of loop tack, static shear resistance, and through the construction of peel master‐curves. Peel master‐curves were generated through peel tests conducted over a range of temperatures and peel rates and through application of the time–temperature superposition principle. Bulk effects dominated by polymer zero shear viscosity change as AA and EHA levels were varied were attributed to the observed effect on static shear resistance and the horizontal displacements of peel master‐curves. Static shear resistance was found to strongly correlate with log(a_C), a parameter introduced to horizontally shift peel master‐curves to form a superposed, “super master‐curve”. An interfacial interaction was proposed to account for deviations observed when loop tack was correlated with log(a_C). Surface rearrangements via hydrogen bonding with the test substrate were suggested as responsible for the interfacial interaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1237–1252, 2006     

Preparation of composite polyacrylate latex particles with in situ‐formed methylsilsesquioxane cores

Composite polyacrylate latex particles were prepared through a simple method by dissolving organosilicon monomer methyltrimethoxysilane in a monomer mixture of acrylic monomers methyl methacrylate (MMA), n‐butyl acrylate (n‐BA), and acrylic acid (AA). With the addition of water needed for hydrolysis, methyltrimethoxylsilane hydrolyzed under catalysis by AA and further condensed to form polymeric methylsilsesquioxane (MSQ). The monomer mixture containing in situ‐formed MSQ was then subjected to emulsification and emulsion polymerization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the obtained latex particles had a core–shell structure. Differences between the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results of the contents of silicon atoms on surfaces of films formed at temperatures above and below glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of polyacrylate evidenced that the cores were made up of MSQ and the shells were made up of polyacrylate. The static water contact angle measurements indicated that the incorporation of MSQ can result in composite latex with higher hydrophobicity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fullerene-C60, A New Effective Inhibitor of High-Temperature Thermooxidative Degradation of Methyl Methacrylate Copolymers

Fullerene-C₆₀ inhibits thermal and thermooxidative degradation of copolymers of methyl methacrylate with styrene, butyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate.     

METHACRYLOYL DERIVITIZED HYPERBRANCHED POLYESTER. 1. SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION, AND COPOLYMERIZATION

Three hyperbranched multi-methacrylates (H20-MMA, H30-MMA and H40-MMA) have been synthesized by reacting Boltorn dendritic polyols with methacrylic anhydride and methacryloyl chloride. Their structures were characterized by FT-IR and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and molecular weights were measured by GPC. These multi-methacrylates (H-MMAs) mixed well with a variety of monomers such as acrylic acid (AA), methacrylic acid (MA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate (HEMA), tri(ethylene glycol) dimethdimethacrylate (TEGDMA), and bisphenol A glycidyl dimethacrylate (BisGMA). The initial studies on thermal polymerization activities of 10% of H-MMAs with AA, MA, and MMA showed that they gave higher polymerization enthalpy than the corresponding homopolymerization. The resulting materials showed one glass transition temperature, indicating a typical single-phase resin. The H-MMAs can effectively copolymerize with AA, MA, and MMA, with essentially no homopolymers produced, as indicated by acetone extraction studies. This indicated that the hyperbranched multi-methacrylates have the potential to be used as crosslinking agents or modifiers with a number of monomers to produce new thermosets.     

Control of thermal,mechanical, and optical properties of three‐component maleimide copolymers by steric bulkiness and hydrogen bonding

N‐substituted maleimides polymerize in the presence of a radical initiator to give polymers with excellent thermal stabilities and transparency. In this study, we synthesized various maleimide copolymers with styrenes and acrylic monomers to control their thermal and mechanical properties by the introduction of bulky substituents and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Three‐component copolymers of N‐(2‐ethylhexyl)maleimide in combination with styrene, α‐methylstyrene (MSt), or 1‐methylenebenzocyclopentane (BC5) as the styrene derivatives, and n‐butyl acrylate, 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate, 4‐hydroxybutyl acrylate, or acrylic acid as the acrylic monomers were prepared by radical copolymerization. These copolymers were revealed to exhibit excellent heat resistance by thermogravimetric analysis. Glass transition temperatures increased by the introduction of bulky MSt and BC5 repeating units. The mechanical properties of the copolymer films were improved by the introduction of intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Optical properties, such as transmittance, refractive index, Abbe number, and birefringence, were determined for the copolymers. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1569–1579     

Development of reactive methacrylates based on glycidyl methacrylate

Six methacrylate monomers have been synthesized for use as reactive diluents in dental composites and evaluated to investigate the relationship between molecular structure and monomer reactivity. Four were synthesized by reactions of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with various acids, 2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)acetic acid ( 1 ), 2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)acetic acid ( 2 ), cyanoacetic acid ( 3 ), and benzoic acid ( 4 ); others were synthesized by reactions of GMA with diethyl hydrogen phosphate ( 5 ) or methanol ( 6 ). Monomers 1 and 2 are novel, 3 seems to be novel, 4 and 6 were synthesized via a novel method, and the synthesis of 5 was described in the literature. The monomers showed high crosslinking tendencies during thermal bulk polymerizations. The photo‐, homo‐, and copolymerization behavior of the monomers with 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxy)phenyl]propane (Bis‐GMA) were investigated. The maximum rate of polymerizations of monomers 2 – 6 was found to be greater than triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, Bis‐GMA, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and glycerol dimethacrylate. For the more reactive monomers ( 2 , 3 , and 4 ), the oxygen sensitivity of polymerization was found to be low due to a hydrogen abstraction/chain transfer reaction. The computationally calculated dipole moment and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies indicated that there seems to be a correlation between these quantities and reactivity for ester linked monomers ( 1 – 5 ), which was also supported by ¹³C NMR data. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3787–3796, 2010     

Effect of the reaction parameters on the particle size in the dispersion polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl and glycidyl methacrylate in the presence of a ferrofluid

The precipitation of Fe₃O₄ from an aqueous solution with ammonium hydroxide produced nanoparticles that were coated with a layer of oleic acid [or, in some cases, poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(vinylpyrrolidone)] before their dispersion into the organic phase. The encapsulation of magnetite nanoparticles in poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate) microparticles was achieved by dispersion polymerization in toluene/2‐methylpropan‐1‐ol. Magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microparticles were obtained in the presence of poly(ethylene oxide) at the magnetite/monomer interface. The particles containing up to 20 wt % iron maintained their discrete nature and did not aggregate. The effect of the reaction medium polarity, the concentrations of the monomer, initiator, and stabilizer, and the temperature on the particle size, particle size distribution, and iron and oxirane group contents was studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1848–1863, 2003     

Synthesis and Swelling Behavior of Acrylate‐Based Hydrogels

The purpose of this investigation was to report the synthesis of a novel pH‐sensitive acrylate‐based hydrogel by polymerizing the comonomers 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, HEMA, acrylic acid, AA, and sodium acrylate, NaAc. The NaAc component was obtained by neutralization of AA with sodium hydroxide. Hydrogels were obtained by free radical copolymerization in aqueous solution in the presence of redox initiators, Na₂S₂O₈/Na₂S₂O₅, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, EGDMA, crosslinker. The copolymers were synthesized by varying neutralization percent of AA in the range of 10–100. The swelling behavior of the copolymeric gels were investigated as a function of pH, temperature, ionic strength, and AA neutralization percent. The polymer mesh size, ξ, molecular weight between crosslinks, M_c , and crosslinking density, q, were determined by using the Flory‐Rehner equation in the pH range of 2–8 as 8.78–48.8 Å, 209–2667 g/mol, and 0.046–0.59, respectively. The diffusional exponent value, n, of the synthesized hydrogel was found to be 0.59, indicating a non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. It can be concluded that the hydrogel demonstrated a sharp change in its water absorbency, mesh size and molecular weight between crosslinks of the network with a change in pH of the swelling media. The latter properties suggest strong consideration of these hydrogels for use as oral drug delivery systems and ion‐exchangers for removal of metal ions from aqueous media, owing to the carboxylate groups within the polymeric network.     

Synthesis and properties of water‐soluble azlactone copolymers

Preparation and study of a series of copolymers incorporating 2‐vinyl‐4,4‐dimethylazlactone (VDMA) is reported. The reactivity ratios for photo‐initiated free radical copolymerization of VDMA with methacrylic acid (MAA), acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AAm), dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (MPEG₃₀₀MA), and 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), were determined by fitting comonomer conversion data obtained by in situ ¹H NMR to a terminal copolymerization equation. Semi‐batch photo‐copolymerizations were then used to synthesize the corresponding VDMA copolymers with constant composition. Their solubility and dissolution behavior, as well as their hydrolysis half‐lives under physiological conditions, were determined. P(VDMA‐co‐MAA) copolymers with 52 to 93 mol % VDMA showed decreasing initial solubility and increasing hydrolysis half‐lives with increasing VDMA content. VDMA copolymers with nonionic monomers AAm and DMAA were water soluble only at VDMA contents of 41 and 22 mol % or less, respectively, and showed longer hydrolysis half‐lives than comparable MAA copolymers. VDMA copolymers with HEMA and MPEG₃₀₀MA were found to crosslink during storage, so their hydrolysis half‐lives were not determined. VDMA copolymers with 18% zwitterionic MPC showed a much longer half‐life and superior initial solubility compared to analogous p(VDMA‐co‐MAA), identifying this copolymer as a promising candidate for macromolecular crosslinkers in, for example, aqueous layer‐by‐layer co‐depositions with polyamines. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Generation of radical species on polypropylene by alkylborane‐oxygen system and its application to graft polymerization

Graft polymerization of ethyl acrylate and n‐butyl acrylate onto surface of polypropylene (PP) beads (diameter: 3.2 mm) were carried out by using a redox system composed of triethylborane (Et₃B) and molecular oxygen in air. The amounts of the grafted polymers increased by prolonging a period of soaking PP beads in a solution of Et₃B in hexane, a less polar solvent of which affinity with PP would be higher than that of tetrahydrofuran, a highly polar solvent. These results implied that the present graft polymerization involved: (1) interpenetration of Et₃B into the surface area with the aid of hexane as a solvent, (2) its aerobic oxidation to generate a radical species, (3) abstraction of proton from PP by the radical species, and (4) initiation of polymerization from the resulting radical on the PP surface. Besides the acrylates, acrylic acid, and glycidyl methacrylate were also grafted onto the surface of PP to endow it with carboxyl and epoxy moieties, respectively. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6163–6167, 2009     

Amphiphilic conetworks. IV. Poly(methacrylic acid)‐l‐polyisobutylene and poly(acrylic acid)‐l‐polyisobutylene based hydrogels prepared by two‐step polymer procedure. New pH responsive conetworks

This article describes the synthesis and characterization of new amphiphilic polymer conetworks containing hydrophilic poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and hydrophobic polyisobutylene (PIB) chains. These conetworks were prepared by a two‐step polymer synthesis. In the first step, a cationic copolymer of isobutylene (IB) and 3‐isopropenyl‐α,α‐dimethylbenzyl isocyanate (IDI) was prepared. The isocyanate groups of the IB–IDI random copolymer were subsequently transformed in situ to methacrylate (MA) groups in reaction with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). In the second step, the resulting MA‐multifunctional PIB‐based crosslinker, PIB(MA)_n, with an average functionality of approximately four methacrylic groups per chain, was copolymerized with methacrylic acid (MAA) or acrylic acid (AA) by radical mechanism in tetrahydrofuran giving rise to amphiphilic conetworks containing 31–79 mol % of MAA or 26–36 mol % of AA. The synthesized conetworks were characterized with solid‐state ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The amphiphilic nature of the conetworks was proven by swelling in both aqueous media with low and high pH and n‐heptane. The effect of varying pH on the swelling behavior of the synthesized conetworks is presented. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1284–1291, 2009     

Self-compatibilization of polymer blends prepared via functionalized concentrated emulsion polymerization

Two “functionalized” concentrated emulsions in water were prepared separately, one from a weakly polymerized mixture of styrene (S) and a small amount of acrylic acid (AA) and the other from a mixture of butyl acrylate (or butyl methacrylate) and a small amount of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). After the two concentrated emulsions were polymerized partially, they were mixed and subjected to complete polymerization. During the latter polymerization, reactions between the carboxyl groups of the AA moieties of the S/AA copolymer and the glycidyl groups of the GMA-containing copolymer occurred, and copolymers and crosslinked structures were generated that constituted the compatibilizers of the system. The blend materials thus obtained possessed excellent toughness compared to those without functional groups. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4233–4240, 1999     

Dielectric properties of some photo crosslinking acrylate ester copolymers

Photo crosslinking due to the photo polymerization of unsaturated acrylic side-groups attached to copolymers of glycidyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate (GMA-MMA) by reaction with acrylic acid in the presence of benzoin methyl ether as photolabile initiator has been investigated. The composition of these copolymers based on (GMA-MMA, 30:70) were determined by [¹H] NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity ratios for the GMA-MMA system were determined using the Kelen-Tüdös method.

The dielectric properties of copolymers based on GMA-MMA acrylate ester (30:70) and homopolymers of MMA in combination with different polyfunctional acrylate ester monomers before and after exposure to UV irradiation have been studied in a solid state matrix, over a frequency range of 100 Hz to 50 kHz and at temperatures in the range 20–70°C.     

Influence of the stirring speed and CaCl2 concentration on the nano‐object morphologies obtained via RAFT‐mediated aqueous emulsion polymerization in the presence of a water‐soluble macroRAFT agent

Aqueous emulsion polymerizations of styrene were performed in the presence of a macromolecular reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent (macroRAFT) composed of acrylic acid (AA) and poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether acrylate (PEOA), end‐capped by a reactive dodecyl trithiocarbonate group (P(AA‐co‐PEOA)‐TTC). The influence of the stirring speed or the presence of different amounts of a divalent salt, CaCl₂, were investigated in this polymerization‐induced self‐assembly process, in which spherical and nonspherical nano‐objects were formed upon the synthesis of amphiphilic diblock copolymers in situ. It appeared that the addition of CaCl₂ led to the controlled formation of different nano‐objects such as spheres, fibers or vesicles, whereas an appropriate stirring speed was required for the formation of nanofibers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Copolymerization of Tri-n-butyltin Acrylate and Tri-n-butyltin Methacrylate Monomers with Vinyl Monomers Containing Functional Groups

A new approach to obtaining thermoset organotin polymers, which permits control of crosslinking site distribution and, through it, a better control of properties of organotin antifouling polymers, is reported. Tri-n-butyltin acrylate and tri-n-butyltin methacrylate monomers were prepared and copolymerized, by the solution polymerization method with the use of free-radical initiators, with several vinyl monomers containing either an epoxy or a hydroxyl functional group. The reactivity ratios were determined for six pairs of monomers by using the analytical YBR method to solve the differential form of the copolymer equation. For copolymerization of tri-n-butyltin acrylate (M₁) with glycidyl acrylate (M₂), these reactivity ratios were n = 0.295 ± 0.053, r₂ = 1.409 ± 0.103; with glycidyl methacrylate (M₂) they were r₁ = 0.344 ± 0.201, r₂ = 4.290 ± 0.273; and with N-methylolacrylamide (M₂) they were r₁ = 0.977 ± 0.087, r₂ = 1.258 ± 0.038. Similarly, for the copolymerization of tri-n-butyltin methacrylate (Mi) with glycidyl aery late (M₂) these reactivity ratios were r₁ = 1.356 ± 0.157, r₂ = 0.367 ± 0.086; with glycidyl methacrylate (M₂) they were r₁ = 0.754 ± 0.128, r₂ = 0.794 ± 0.135; and with N-methylolacrylamide (M₂) they were r₁ ?4.230 ± 0.658, r₂ = 0.381 ± 0.074. Even though the magnitude of error in determination of reactivity ratios was small, it was not found possible to assign consistent Q,e values to either of the organotin monomers for all of its copolymerizations. Therefore, Q,e values were obtained by averaging all Q,e values found for the particular monomer, and these were Q = 0.852, e = 0.197 for the tri-n-butyltin methacrylate monomer; and Q = 0.235, e = 0.401 for the tri-n-butyltin acrylate monomer. Since the reactivity ratios indicate the distribution of the units of a particular monomer in the polymer chain, the measured values are discussed in relation to the selection of a suitable copolymer which, when cross-linked with appropriate crosslinking agents through functional groups, would give thermoset organotin coatings with an optimal balance of mechanical and antifouling properties.     

Cationic and polymeric radicals of vinyl monomers in halogenated matrices: An ESR and SCF MO study

The vinyl monomers methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and β-methylstyrene were dissolved in CF₃CCl₃, x-irradiated at 4 or 77 K, and investigated by ESR spectroscopy. The molecular cation of methyl acrylate has no resolved hyperfine structure, indicating that the unpaired electron is localized on the carbonyl oxygen. Evidence that a two-stage photoinduced reaction gives rise to a propagating radical was obtained. Propagating radicals were observed also with methyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, and methacrylic acid as solutes. The positive ion of β-methylstyrene has been prepared and characterized. The experimental data have been compared with molecular orbital calculations at different levels of approximation.