Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) in Emulsion

CVD Deposited Epoxy Copolymers as Protective Coatings for Optical Surfaces

Copolymer thin films of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (V4D4) were synthesized via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) as protective coatings for optical surfaces. Chemical durability in various solvents, corrosion resistance, adhesion to substrate, thermal resistance and optical transmittance of the films were evaluated. Crosslinked thin films exhibited high chemical resistance to strong organic solvents and excellent adhesion to substrates. Poly(GMA-co-EGDMA) and poly(GMA-co-V4D4) copolymers demonstrated protection against water (<1% thickness loss), high salt resistance (<1.5% thickness loss), and high optical transparency (~90% in visible spectrum) making them ideal coating materials for optical surfaces. Combining increased mechanical properties of GMA and chemical durability V4D4, the iCVD process provides a fast and low-cost alternative for the fabrication of protective coatings.

A self-healable and antifouling hydrogel based on PDMS centered ABA tri-block copolymer polymersomes: a potential material for therapeutic contact lenses

We have prepared an antifouling and self-healable PDMS based hydrogel which consists of a mixture of curcumin loaded zwitterionic PDMS polymersomes and amine functionalized PDMS polymersomes prepared via RAFT polymerization and Schiff-base reaction.

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate)/bacterial cellulose nanocomposites: Preparation, characterization and post-modification

Nanocomposites composed of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and bacterial cellulose (BC) were prepared by the in-situ free radical polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) inside the BC network. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized in terms of structure, morphology, water-uptake capacity, thermal stability and viscoelastic properties. The three-dimensional structure of BC endowed the nanocomposites with good thermal stability (up to 270 °C) and viscoelastic properties (minimum storage modulus = 80 MPa at 200 °C). In addition, the water-uptake and crystallinity decreased with the increasing content of the hydrophobic and amorphous PGMA matrix. These nanocomposites were then submitted to post-modification via acid-catalysed hydrolysis to convert the hydrophobic PGMA into the hydrophilic poly(glyceryl methacrylate) (PGOHMA) counterpart, which increased the hydrophilicity of the nanocomposites and consequently improved their water-uptake capacity. Besides, the post-modified nanocomposites maintained a good thermal stability (up to 250 °C), viscoelastic properties (minimum storage modulus = 171 MPa at 200 °C) and porous structure. In view of these results, the PGMA/BC nanocomposites can be used as functional hydrophobic nanocomposites for post-modification reactions, whereas the PGOHMA/BC nanocomposites might have potential for biomedical applications requiring hydrophilic, swellable and biocompatible materials.

Zero valent metal/RAFT agent mediated CRP of functional monomers at room temperature: a promising catalyst system for CRP

A facile approach to synthesize GMA polymers using Fe(0)/RAFT agent mediated control radical polymerization.