SYNTHESIS OF AN AMPHIPHILIC PPESK-g-P(PEGMA) GRAFT COPOLYMER VIA ATRP AND ITS USE IN BLEND MODIFICATION OF PPESK MEMBRANES

 Preparation of an amphiphilic graft copolymer having poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK) as main chains was carried out by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The precursor, chloromethylated PPESK (CMPPESK), was prepared by using chloromethylether as chloromethylation agent. Then, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) was used as monomer to synthesize PPESK-g-P(PEGMA) by ATRP method under the catalysis of a cuprous chloride/2,2'-bipyridyl system. PPESK/PPESK-g-P(PEGMA) blend membranes were prepared and characterized. Chemical structures of the products were confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy and 1H-NMR analysis. The thermal properties of PPESK-g-P(PEGMA) were analyzed by thermal gravity analysis (TGA). XPS method was used to analyze the composition of the blend membrane. FESEM was employed to investigate the morphology of the membranes. The hydrophilicity of blend membranes was measured by water contact angle test. It turns out that the hydrophilicity and surface wettability were enhanced after modification. However, the thermal properties were negatively affected.