UV Radiation-Induced Degradation of Poly(n-Propylmethylsilane-Co-Isopropylmethylsilane) in Solution

The photodegradation of poly(n-propylmethylsilane-co-isopropylmethylsilane) (NPIPSC) in solution was investigated. The results obtained indicate that a low-pressure Hg lamp photoinduces degradation. Therefore, this light source can be used as an acceptable radiation source for the photobleaching of NPIPSC. Gel permeation chromatography/light scattering (GPC/LS) measurements indicate that two photodegradation stages exist in this process. The first occurs at less than 6 s of exposure, where scission is very rapid. The second occurs between 6 and 12 s of exposure. The latter does not result in a significant loss of molecular weight. A change of slope in the plot of molecular weight as a function of elution volume is observed in the degradation process. This result indicates the presence of at least two species with different conformations. The ratio of scissions to cross-linking related to photodegradation was calculated and revealed that the scission process predominates over cross-linking. The presence of isopropylmethylsilane (IPMS) units in the copolymer appears to induce a decrease in the NPIPSC degradation efficiency. The linear plot of degradation degree as a function of exposure time suggests that there are no weak links in the copolymer. This result can be correlated with the chemical composition of the copolymer, which was nearly the same between 0 and 10 s of UV exposure. After 12 s of exposure, the IPMS was removed from the NPIPSC.