1,4-pentadien-3-one-1-p-hydroxyphenyl-5-p-phenyl Acrylate: Crosslinking Studies and Reactivity Ratios with Glycidyl Methacrylate

1,4-pentadien-3-one-1,5-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl) (PBHP) was synthesized by reacting p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and acetone in the presence of HCl gas. 1,4-pentadien-3-one-1-p-hydroxyphenyl-5-p-phenyl acrylate (HPA) was prepared by reacting PBHP with acryloyl chloride in ethyl methyl ketone (EMK) medium at 0°C. Copolymerization of different feed compositions of HPA with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was carried out using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator in EMK solvent under nitrogen atmosphere at 70±1°C. Polymers thus synthesized were characterized by IR and NMR (¹H/¹³C) spectroscopic techniques. Reactivity ratios of the monomers were calculated from the ¹H NMR data by applying linearization methods such as Fineman–Ross, Kelen–Tudos and extended Kelen–Tudos methods. Photocrosslinking property of the polymer samples was studied using the solvent method. Thermal stability of the polymers were measured using thermogravimetric analysis. Molecular weights (M _w and M _n) and polydispersity value of the polymer were determined using gel permeation chromatographic technique.