Synthesis,characterization, and UV‐curing properties of silicon‐containing (Meth)acrylate monomers

Eight different silicon‐containing (meth)acrylate monomers are synthesized by the substitution reaction of chlorosiloxanes with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate or 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate. Their molecular structures are confirmed by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopic analyses. The effects of silicon content on the UV‐curing behavior, physical, surface, and thermal properties are investigated. The UV‐curing behavior is analyzed by photo differential scanning calorimetry. The surface free energy of the UV‐cured film is calculated from contact angles measured using the Lewis acid‐base three liquids method. The silicon‐containing (meth)acrylate monomers perform much better than traditional (meth)acrylate monomers on UV‐curing. The silicon‐containing monomers have higher final conversions and fast UV‐curing rates in photopolymerization. The surface free energy decreases with increasing silicon content, because silicon in the soft segment is transferred to the surface, producing a UV‐cured film; this is confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. All these advantageous properties enable these synthetic silicon‐containing monomers to perform better in applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013