Synthesis and Gas Permeability of Cyclotetrasiloxane-Containing Methacrylate Copolymers

Abstract

Synthesis and gas permeability of random and block copolymers of a cyclotetrasiloxane-containing methacrylate have been studied in comparison with those of tris(trimethylsiloxy)silane-containing methacrylate (MTTS) copolymers. Random and block copolymers of 3-(heptamethyl cyclotetrasiloxanyl) propyl methacrylate (HCPM) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared by radical copolymerization using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile and a poly(azoinitiator), poly(1,6-hexamethylene 4,4′-azobiscyanopentanoate), respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that HCPM-MMA block copolymers exhibited heterogeneous phases, as evidenced by two distinct glass transition temperatures due to poly-HCPM (PHCPM) block and PMMA block, while the single glass transition temperatures in the homogeneous phases in HCPM-MMA random copolymers lowered with HCPM content. The oxygen and nitrogen gas permeability coefficients of HCPM-MMA random copolymer films measured at 23°C were found to steeply increase with HCPM contents, although those of HCPM-MMA block copolymers slightly increased. The permeability coefficients of MTTS-MMA random copolymers prevailed over those of HCPM-MMA random copolymers despite the same four Si atoms, probably because of its free volume effect. Further, the HCPM content dependency on the diffusion and solubility coefficients, and the effect of crosslinking on their gas permeability were also discussed.