Effects of inert diluent segment and hydrogen bonding in poly(styrene-co-methacrylamide) copolymers

Abstract

A series of random poly(styrene-co-methacrylacmide) (PS-co-PMAAM) copolymers were prepared by free radical polymerization of styrene and methacrylamide monomers. The PS and PMAAM units of the copolymer do not have any specific interaction based on the Kwei equation and the infrared spectroscopy result, indicating that the styrene plays strictly as an inert diluent segment on the PMAAM main chain. This result offers an opportunity to enhance the miscibility and specific interaction between the amide group of PMAAM and the functional group of second polymer by reducing the strong self-association of the PMAAM.