In-situ preparation of novel nanocomposites of PMMA and ordered mesoporous carbon (FDU-15)

Abstract

Ordered mesoporous carbons have recently been in significant attention because of their unique hexagonal structure, tunable large pore volumes, high thermal stability, and high surface-to-volume ratio. In this research paper, for achieving the maximum compatibility between the FDU-15 and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH-550) was used as a modifying and coupling agent to facilitate the bond formations between the mesoporous carbon and PMMA with the help of ultrasonic irradiation. Nanocomposite (NC) films were produced via the in-situ polymerization method aligned with various amounts of modified FDU-15. Sample characterizations were done by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), low angle X-ray diffraction (LXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The LXRD pattern proved that the hexagonal mesoporous structure of FDU-15 was preserved in NCs, however, the intensities of reflexes and long range order were decreased. The PMMA-m-FDU 2 wt% showed the existence of some pores on its surface according to FE-SEM. The TEM images of the NC depicted well-ordered arrays of mesoporous carbon in the PMMA matrix perpendicular to the pore axis and confirmed the 2D structure of the mesopores. TGA data also confirmed that as the m-FDU-15 increases into the PMMA matrix, the higher thermal stability will achieve. Also, the Td will increase to the higher temperatures. The PMMA-m-FDU 2 wt% showed the highest thermal resistant among the other studied NCs.