Polymerizable ionic liquids for the preparation of polystyrene/clay composites |
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| Authors: | Andrea Pucci Vincenzo Liuzzo Bernardo Melai Christian Silvio Pomelli Cinzia Chiappe |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via Risorgimento 35, I‐56126 Pisa, Italy;2. CNR NANO, Istituto Nanoscienze‐CNR, piazza San Silvestro 12, I‐56127 Pisa, Italy;3. INSTM, Unità di Ricerca di Pisa, Via Risorgimento 35, 56126 Pisa, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Polymerizable ionic liquids (ILs) 1‐methyl‐3‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)imidazolium chloride, 1‐hexyl‐3‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)imidazolium chloride and 1‐dodecyl‐3‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)imidazolium chloride were prepared and used as new surfactants for the modification of montmorillonite (MMT). Functionalized MMTs were prepared by cationic exchange between sodium MMT and each of the ILs. Polystyrene (PS)/MMT composites were subsequently prepared by in situ intercalative free radical polymerization of styrene containing dispersed organophilic MMT. Exfoliation of MMT in the PS matrix was achieved only for MMT functionalized with the 1‐dodecyl‐3‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)imidazolium‐based IL as revealed by X‐ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The exfoliated composites showed good transparency and higher decomposition temperature than virgin polymer matrix, particularly pronounced under air atmosphere (ΔTmax = 66 °C), data comparable to or even greater than those reported in the literature for exfoliated PS nanocomposites. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry |
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| Keywords: | polystyrene/layered silicate composites intercalative radical polymerization polymerizable ionic liquids exfoliation |
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