Effects of macromolecular matrix on the process of radical polymerization of ionizable monomers

TLDR: In this article, the authors studied the polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) and acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of a positively charged macromolecular matrix.

Abstract: Radical polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) and acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of a positively charged macromolecular matrix was studied. In the presence of a matrix, the rates of polymerization were remarkably increased, especially in high pH region. This suggests that electrostatic interaction between the macromolecular matrix and the growing chains and/or the monomer molecules plays an important role in the process of polymerization reaction. The kinetic orders were greatly influenced by the relative matrix concentration (PC) as follows: for (PC)0 > [M]0, Rp = k[M]0.9 [PC]0.3 [I]0.8≤ [M]0Rp = k[M]0.3[PC]0[I]0,8 where [M] and [I] are monomer and initiator concentration, respectively, and k is a constant. The mechanism of the interaction of matrix with monomer and/or growing chains in the process of the propagation is discussed. The complex formed in the matrix polymerization could be easily made into fiber by spinning.