Synthesis and Characterization of 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA) and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) Copolymer Used as Biomaterial

Abstract

A series of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PMMA-co-PHEMA), copolymers were synthesized by an emulsion polymerization technique. Copolymer compositions were determined by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. It was found that comonomer ratios used in the recipes were comparable within the actual copolymers. Glass transition temperatures (T_g) of PMMA-co-PHEMA copolymers were varied from 119°C to 100°C by increasing HEMA content. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the copolymers were stable up to 330°C. High intrinsic viscosity values of copolymer resulted in ductile solution-cast films. The hydrophilicity of the films was analyzed by water uptake measurements.

Keywords:

• Methyl methacrylate
• hydroxyethyl methacrylate
• emulsion polymerization
• copolymers
• equilibrium swelling ratio

Acknowledgements

Financial support from The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey under the contract #108T099 is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank to Middle East Technical University Central Laboratory for DSC and TGA analysis.

Notes

∗ A typical copolymer including 95 molar percent of MMA and 5 molar percent HEMA.

^a By weight.

^b By proton NMR.