Synthesis of a New Multiarm Star Polymer Based on Hyperbranched Poly(styrene) Core and Poly(epsilon-Caprolactone) Arms and Its Use as Reactive Modifier of Epoxy Thermosets

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Mireia Morell - , Universidad Rovira i Virgili (Author)
  • David Foix - , Universidad Rovira i Virgili (Author)
  • Albena Lederer - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Xavier Ramis - , UPC Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona Tech) (Author)
  • Brigitte Voit - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Angels Serra - , Universidad Rovira i Virgili (Author)

Abstract

A well-defined multiarm star copolymer poly(styrene)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PSOH-b-PCL) with an average number of PCL arms per molecule of 60 has been prepared. 4-Chloromethyl styrene (4-CMS) was polymerized by means of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to obtain a hyperbranched poly(styrene) with chlorines as terminal groups. Subsequently, chlorines were substituted by reaction with diisopropanolamine (DIPA) to give the hydroxyl-ended derivative. Finally, the hydroxyl-ended hyperbranched poly(styrene) has been used as a macroinitiator core to polymerize e-caprolactone by means of cationic ring-opening polymerization so as to obtain the star copolymer. In a second step, PSOH-b-PCL was used as re-active modifier of diglycidylether of bisphenol A formulations cured by 1-methyl imidazole (1-MI) obtaining nanostructured thermosets. The curing process was studied by dynamic scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). By rheometry, the effect of this new polymer topology on the complex viscosity (eta*) of the reactive mixture and on the gelation process was also analyzed. The thermomechanical characteristics of the modified materials were determined. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J PolymSci Part A: Polym Chem49: 4639-4649, 2011

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4639-4649
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry
Volume49
Issue number21
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2011
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

Scopus 80053545750
ORCID /0000-0002-4531-691X/work/148607847

Keywords

Keywords

  • Anionic polymerization, Epoxy resin, Hyperbranched, Star polymers, Thermosets