Comparison of hydrogen bonding interaction between PMMA/PMAA blends and PMMA-co-PMAA copolymers

A series of miscible PMMA/PMAA blends and PMMA-co-PMAA copolymers with different compositions were prepared in this study. T_gs of PMMA-co-PMAA copolymers are significantly higher than average values or from the Fox equation. The proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame (T_1ρ^H) determined by high resolution solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance indicates single composition-dependent from all blends and copolymers, implying a good miscibility with chain dynamics on a scale of 1-2 nm. However, T_1ρ^Hs of copolymers are still smaller than those of blends, implying that degrees of homogeneity of copolymers are higher than those of blends. On the basis of Kovacs' free volume theory, the free volume of the copolymer obtained is decreased which is another indication of greater homogeneity of the copolymer than that of the corresponding blend. According to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses, the above results can be rationalized that the hydrogen bonding interaction of the copolymer is stronger than the blend.