Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering (IJChE)
Scientific Journal

Synthesis of the Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Brush on the Poly( Vinylidene Fluoride) Membrane via the Surface Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Document Type : Regular Article

Authors

Somayeh Fallahnejad 1
Behnaz MemarMaher 2

1 Institute of Polymeric Materials and Faculty of Polymer Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of Chemical Engineering, Ahar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/ijche.2024.445877.1525
Abstract
Polymer chains- tethered membranes exhibited a technic to improve membrane surface, and can be commonly used to change the inherent surface physico-chemical properties of materials. So, the grafting of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chains onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) substrate was carried out via surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) at room temperature. Surface coverage and grafting density were controlled by adjusting the  concentration of the initiator. The attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results indicated that the PMMA brush was successfully synthesized on the substrates. The study examined the alterations in the physical characteristics of a the PVDF membrane modified with polymer brushes using the scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that PMMA brushes were attached not only to the outer surface of the membrane but also to the surfaces of its pores. Results from the atomic force microscopy and water contact angle measurements confirmed the homogeneous grafting of PMMA chains onto the substrate.

Keywords

Polymer brush
Poly(methyl methacrylate)
Poly(vinylidene fluoride)
Membrane
Atom transfer radical polymerization

Subjects

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Iranian Journal of Chemical Engineering (IJChE)
Volume 21, Issue 2
Spring 2024
Pages 74-88

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