Characteristics of acrylic acid-grafted polyethylene prepared by photografting using mixed solvents consisting of water and organic solvent

Photografting of acrylic acid (AA) on linear-low density polyethylene film (thickness=30 μm) was investigated at 60 °C using mixed solvent consisting of water and organic solvents such as acetone and methanol. Xanthone was used as photoinitiator, which was coated on the film earlier. With longer photoirradiation time, such as 40 and 60 min, the percentage of grafting decreased with increasing the concentration of organic solvent in the mixed solvent, where formation of homopolymer occurred preferentially over the grafting reaction. In the system with photoirradiation of 20 min, on the other hand, a maximum percentage of grafting was observed at a certain concentration of organic solvent, in which formation of grafted polymer rather than homopolymer was emphasized. Photografting using the mixed solvent resulted in AA-grafted film with homogeneous distribution of grafted chains, exhibiting larger pH-responsive character, where the grafted film shrinks in an acidic medium, while it swells in an alkaline region. Polymer catalysts for hydrolysis of p-nitrophenylacetate, which was performed at 40 °C in water/ethanol (1/4, v/v)-mixed solvent at pH=9.0, could be prepared by reacting the AA-grafted film with L-histidine and its catalytic activity was slightly influenced by location of grafted chains.