Abstract:

A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers P(SPEG)-g-P(HFMA) comprising poly(hexafluorobutyl methacrylate)(PHFMA) backbones and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) side chains were synthesized via a macromonomer method. The resultant macromonomer and amphiphilic graft copolymer were characterized by 1H NMR and GPC spectroscopy. The crystallization of P(SPEG)-g-P(HFMA) was studied by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and polarized optical microscope(POM). DSC and XRD measurements indicated that the crystallizing temperature(Tc) and degree of crystallinity(Xc) of the copolymer decreased with the increase of HFMA content in the graft copolymer. The melting temperature (Tm) of the amphiphilic graft copolymer first decreased appropriate and then increased with the increase of HFMA content in the graft copolymer. POM micrographs showed that the crystal rate of the graft copolymer decreased and the PEG phase has a decreasing propensity for spherical crystallization and less clear spherical structures as the HFMA content in the graft copolymer increases. When the HFMA content in the graft copolymer was 57%, no clear crystalline was found.

Key words: fluoropolymers, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), amphiphilic graft copolymer, crystallization