Development of periodic colored bands via frontal polymerization

Abstract

The development of periodic brown-white colored structural patterns during the frontal polymerization process has been studied in Methacrylic acid (MAA), Resorcinol, Benzoyl peroxide (BP), and N, N Dimethyl aniline (DMA) reaction system. The reaction has been carried out in a thin glass test tube under ambient conditions. Pattern formation and their dependency on the concentration of MAA monomer, Resorcinol, and DMA initiator have largely been observed. Methanol has also been used as a solvent to optimize the effect of dilution levels on the periodicity of colored structural patterns. The materials characterization is carried out using NMR, SEM, IR, CHNS, and UV–visible analyses to show the possible reaction mechanisms and elemental composition of the polymerization reaction. It has been observed that white and brown colored polymeric phases are formed during FP reactions and polymerized simultaneously. In this context, a possible chemical mechanism has been proposed which shows the formation of white colored polymethacrylic acid and brown phase poly (2–hydroxy, 1, 4 napthaquinone methacrylic acid). The analytical data observed during the study has a good agreement with the proposed chemical mechanism. The characteristics of colored patterns found depending on the concentration of resorcinol, BP, and EtOH have been studied and properly discussed.