Frontal copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate without porogen: comparison with suspension polymerization

• Published in: Polymer international Vol. 53; no. 12; pp. 2045 - 2050
• Main Authors: Pujari, NS, Vishwakarma, AR, Pathak, TS, Mule, SA, Ponrathnam, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-12-2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; frontal polymerization; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; poly[(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)]; Polymers with particular properties; pore volume; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; surface area; suspension polymerization; pore volume; Crosslink density; Hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymer; Experimental study; Property processing relationship; frontal polymerization; Porous material; Latex; Suspension copolymerization; Crosslinked copolymer; Structure processing relationship; surface area; Morphology; Preparation; suspension polymerization; poly[(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)]; Methacrylate copolymer; Porosity; Radical copolymerization
• ISSN: 0959-8103; 1097-0126
• DOI: 10.1002/pi.1626

Networked, crosslinked poly[(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐co‐(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)] (HEMA‐EGDM) was synthesized by frontal polymerization (FP) using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. HEMA‐EGDM copolymers of similar composition were also synthesized by suspension polymerization. The two sets of copolymers were characterized for functional groups (IR), pore volume (mercury intrusion porosimetry), surface area (nitrogen adsorption) and morphology (scanning electron microscopy). FP‐generated polymeric network structures had higher internal pore volumes and surface areas but their surface morphologies were inferior to those of copolymers synthesized by suspension polymerization. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry