Premium
Photo‐induced polymerization of methyl methacrylate/cyclodextrin complex in aqueous solution
Author(s) -
Deng Jianping,
Wu Zhilin,
He Qinxiong,
Yang Wantai
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.1183
Subject(s) - polymerization , photoinitiator , polymer chemistry , methyl methacrylate , bulk polymerization , materials science , aqueous solution , solution polymerization , chain growth polymerization , radical polymerization , chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , monomer , composite material
Polymerization of hydroxypropyl‐ β ‐cyclodextrin (HP‐ β ‐CD) complex of methyl methacrylate (MMA) (MMA/HP‐ β ‐CD) was carried out under UV irradiation in aqueous solution with Irgacure 2959 (4‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)phenyl‐(2‐hydroxy‐2‐propyl)ketone) as a photoinitiator at room temperature. The effects of some principal factors, including UV irradiation intensity, initiator concentration, and the ratio of HP‐ β ‐CD to MMA, on the polymerization were investigated in detail. Compared to the corresponding thermal polymerization, photo‐induced polymerization of the MMA/HP‐ β ‐CD complex could be accomplished at a higher speed; the polymerization conversion in photo‐induced polymerization reached 94% within 30 min, while it was only 62% for the thermal polymerization of 16 hr at 70°C. The number‐average molecular weight ( M n ) and polymerization conversion decreased with the increase in UV intensity and initiator concentration. The resulting PMMA precipitated spontaneously from the solution during polymerization in the absence of any precipitator. About 95 wt% of the HP‐ β ‐CD remained in the solution after polymerization and the reusability of the residual HP‐ β ‐CD was experimentally demonstrated. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.