Poly[2-(N,N-Dimethylamino) Ethyl Methacrylate] /Poly(Styrene-Co-Methacrylic Acid) Interpolymer Complexes

Summary: Poly[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA), copolymers of different compositions of styrene with 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (SDMAEMA) or methacrylic acid (SMA) were synthesized by free radical polymerization and characterized by several techniques. Different ternary mixtures containing proton-acceptors PDMAEMA or SDMAEMA, proton-donor copolymers SMA and a solvent (butan-2-one or THF) were prepared. The present study, that investigated several factors that affected the phase behaviors of the ternary mixtures above, confirmed that, indeed depending on the nature of solvent, densities of interacting species, amounts of efficient specific interactions that occurred between the two copolymers, interpolymer complexes of different structures were elaborated. The complexation phenomena, observed with these different systems were analyzed in solution by viscometry that confirmed these effects in monitoring the formation of interpolymer complexes. The specific interactions that occurred between pairs of polymers of each system above were qualitatively evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy from the appearance of new bands or their new redistribution. The glass transition temperature Tg of the obtained complexes of different structures determined by DSC varied differently with the weight fraction of one of the copolymers. These various Tg-compositions were analyzed using the Kwei and Brostow et al. approach recently developed. Thermal analysis of some of the elaborated complexes, examined by thermogravimetry, confirmed their improved thermal stability.