Self‐complementary multiple hydrogen bonding interactions increase the glass transition temperatures to supramolecular poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers

We have prepared a series of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)‐based copolymers through free radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of 2‐ureido‐41H]‐pyrimidinone methyl methacrylate (UPyMA). The glass transition temperature was increased with the increase of UPyMA contents in PMMA copolymers due to strong self‐complementary multiple hydrogen bonding interactions of UPy moiety. The Fourier transform infrared and solid‐state NMR spectroscopic analyses provided positive evidence for the presence of multiple hydrogen bonds interaction of UPy moiety. Furthermore, the proton spin‐lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame T_1ρ(H)] for the PMMA copolymers had a single value that was less than pure PMMA, indicating the smaller domain sizes in PMMA copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012