Synthesis and characterization of brush-type poly beta-alanine-grafted polymethyl methacrylate using grafting through method

Abstract

Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate-g-beta-alanine) [poly(MMA-g-BA)] brush-type graft copolymer was carried out by free-radical polymerization (FRP) of poly beta-alanine macromonomer with vinyl end-group and methyl methacrylate, that is, grafting through method. For this purpose, poly beta-alanine macromonomer with vinyl end-group was synthesized by base-catalyzed hydrogen transfer polymerization (HTP) of acrylamide monomer. The spectroscopic characterization of the products was determined by H-1-NMR and FTIR. The molecular weights of the synthesized poly beta-alanine macromonomer and the graft copolymers were defined through MALDI-TOF-MS analysis and Static Light Scattering measurement, respectively. TGA and DSC techniques were performed to reveal the thermal properties of the products. The morphological properties of the products were examined by SEM analysis. The spectroscopic and thermal analyses of poly(MMA-g-BA) brush-type graft copolymer revealed that the copolymer was easily built through a combination of HTP and FRP techniques.