Synthesize and characterization of new polymeric surfactants based on nonionic maleate surfmer by catalytic bulk copolymerization with methyl methacrylate

Non-ionic maleate surfmer (M1) was prepared via ring opening reaction of maleic anhydride with hexanol followed by esterfaction with polyethylene glycol. The prepared surfmer was homo-polymerized and copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (M2) at different conditions using TiO₂ and V₂O₅ as catalysts in presence of O₂ or N₂. The chemical structure of the prepared surfmer, homo-polymer and copolymer were confirmed by FT-IR, ¹³C and ¹H NMR. The molecular weights of the prepared polymers were measured using Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and their thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was determined. TGA indicated a higher thermal stability for the copolymers M1M2TN and M1M2VO relative to the pure polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The interfacial tension for the prepared surfmer and the copolymer was measured. The optimum conditions which resulted in 64.2% and 63.8% conversion were 20% w/w TiO₂ in N₂ and 10% w/w V₂O₅ in O₂ at 80?°C for 4?h with M1/M2 molar ratio of 1:1.