ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate using copper-based homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts

Hashem Tabebordbar, Zahra Mohamadnia, and Ebrahim Ahmadi

University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

E-mail: z.mohamadnia@iasbs.ac.ir

Abstract: This study aimed at polymerization of methyl methacrylate with novel catalysts in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) condition at 90 °C. This was accomplished using CuBr/N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (CuBr–AEAPTMS) as a homogeneous catalyst and one time with CuBr@AEAPTMS/SBA-15 as a heterogeneous catalyst. Catalysts were characterized using TGA, FT-IR, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The structural analysis of the polymer was carried out by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and GPC. Three characteristic parts of polymer produced by ATRP method including the initiator, monomer units, and end group was shown in ¹³C NMR spectra. In addition, the presence of C–Br unit showed that the polymerization process is alive. The ¹H NMR analysis was used for kinetic investigation of methyl methacrylate polymerization with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts that showed high monomer conversion (98 and 90% after 35 min, respectively) and good control of molecular weight with a dispersity (Р= 1.5–1.7). In addition, the plot of ln ([monomer]₀/[monomer]_t) versus time gave linear relationships indicating a constant concentration of the propagating species throughout the polymerization. Finally, the results of the polymerization using heterogeneous catalyst compared with homogeneous catalyst revealed that it was according to ATRP method.

Keywords: Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP); Methyl methacrylate (MMA); Heterogeneous; Homogeneous; SBA-15

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-017-0204-x

Chemical Papers 71 (11) 2117–2127 (2017)