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Syntheses of an azo‐group‐bound silica initiator and silica–polystyrene composites
Author(s) -
Feng Libang,
Ye Jiaofeng,
Qiang Xiaohu,
Zhang Hongxia
Publication year - 2011
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.33639
Subject(s) - polystyrene , thermogravimetric analysis , materials science , styrene , polymer chemistry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , composite number , differential scanning calorimetry , polymerization , chemical engineering , copolymer , composite material , polymer , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
In this article, we present a facile method for the synthesis of an azo‐group‐bound silica (SiO 2 –azo) initiator. The azo groups were introduced onto the surface of silica (SiO 2 ) nanoparticles via facile condensation between 4,4′‐azobis‐4‐cyanopentanoic acid and the alkyl–hydroxyl groups ‐ immobilized on the SiO 2 nanoparticle surface under ambient conditions. The polystyrene (PS) chains were grafted onto the SiO 2 nanoparticle surface by in situ polymerization with the resulting SiO 2 –azo as an initiator, and then, the SiO 2 –PS composite was prepared. The syntheses and properties of the SiO 2 –azo initiator and the composite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The results confirm that the SiO 2 –azo initiator and the composite were synthesized successfully. Styrene was polymerized with the initiation of SiO 2 –azo, and the resulting PS domain accounted for 48.6% of the total amount of composite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011