Abstract
Copolymers of methacryl‐N,N′‐diisopropylurea (MA‐DiPrU) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) at monomer‐to‐monomer ratios in the feed: 0.3/0.7; 0.5/0.5; 0.7/0.3; 0.8/0.2 were prepared in butanone in the presence of 2% of dibenzoyl peroxide (Bz2O2) at 70°C for 48 hr. Copolymers regardless of the ratio of comonomers in the feed decompose thermally at 200–250°C under the separation of isopropylisocyanate (iPrNCO). Residues after the removal of iPrNCO are thermally stable nanoporous crosslinked copolymers of methacryl‐isopropylamide (MA‐iPrA) with EDMA which decompose by a one‐step mechanism between 280°C and 450°C. Nonporous model copolymers poly(MA‐iPrA‐co‐EDMA) of similar composition, prepared by copolymerization of MA‐iPrA with EDMA, also decomposed by a one‐step mechanism as shown by TGA measurements.
Keywords:
- Methacryl‐N,N′‐diisopropylurea
- Poly(methacryl‐N,N′‐diisopropylurea‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)
- Methacryl‐N‐isopropylamide
- Poly(methacryl‐N‐isopropylamide‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)
- Thermal properties
- Thermal degradation of poly(methacryl‐N,N′‐diisopropylurea‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)
- Nanoporous poly(methacryl‐N‐isopropylamide‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)
- Nonporous poly(methacryl‐N‐isopropylamide‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)
Acknowledgment
The Ministry of Science and Technology of Croatia supported this work.