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Photodegradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) in solution and the effect of added solutes
Author(s) -
Fox R. B.,
Price T. R.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1967.070111124
Subject(s) - photodegradation , methyl methacrylate , photochemistry , polymer , methylene , chemistry , oxygen , excited state , polymer chemistry , reaction mechanism , polymerization , organic chemistry , catalysis , photocatalysis , physics , nuclear physics
Poly(methyl methacrylate) has been photolyzed with 2537 A. radiation in dioxane and in methylene chloride at about 25°C. in the presence and absence of air. In degassed solutions, quantum yields for random scission are only slightly affected by either intensity or polymer concentration. Oxygen is an apparent inhibitor for photodegradation. The inhibiting and sensitizing effects of a variety of added solutes, including aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic dienes, and ketones were investigated; the behavior is similar whether or not oxygen is present. The results are best explained on the basis of an electronic energy transfer mechanism involving the lowest excited triplet levels of the polymer and the added solutes.