Synthesis of Hyperbranched Polypropylene/Organoclay Nanocomposites by Metal Catalyzed Living Radical Polymerization and Solvent Blending Method

Isotactic polypropylene-based polymer hybrids linking poly methyl methacrylate was successfully synthesized by a graft copolymerization from maleic anhydride-modified polypropylene (MAH-graft-PP). MAH-graft-PP reacted with ethanolamine to produce a hydroxyl group containing polypropylene (PP-OH) and obtained PP-OH was treated with α-phenyl chloroacetyl chloride and converted to a chloroacetyl group containing polypropylene (PP-Cl). The metal-catalyzed radical polymerization of MMA with PP-Cl was performed using a copper catalyst system in xylene solution at 100°C to give the PP-based polymer hybrids linking PMMA segments (PMMA-graft-MAH-graft-PP). Finally the grafted copolymer/MMt nanocomposite prepared by solution intercalation method.