Structure, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Novel Macroporous Amino-Functionalized Glycidyl Methacrylate Based Copolymers

Abstract

Novel macroporous functionalized copolymers with different cross-linker concentrations and porosity parameters were synthesized by reaction of the pendant epoxy groups of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (poly(GMA-co-EGDMA)) with hexamethylene diamine, 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane, and α,ω-diaminopropyl poly(dimethylsiloxane). The copolymers were prepared in forms of spherical beads and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 13 C and 29 Si solid-state NMR, mercury porosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Copolymers prepared with the higher cross-linker concentrations have better thermal stability, higher glass transition temperatures, higher specific surface areas, and smaller pore diameters that correspond to half of the pore volumes. Our results show that functionalization significantly changed porosity parameters, mechanism of thermal degradation, and increased thermal stability in comparison with the initial copolymers. These macroporous copolymers could potentially have many applications, i.e. for sorption of heavy and precious metals or as material for gas chromatography columns.