Ionic and excited intermediates in pulse-irradiated polypropylene doped with aromatics

Abstract

A pulse radiolysis study of isotactic polypropylene (PP) film has been carried out with the main aims of investigating charge trapping in an undoped system and solute radical ion generation in an pyrene (Py) doped matrix. In PP, pulse radiolysis gives electron–positive hole pairs. The electron can be stabilized in the undoped system as a trapped electron, e. The transient absorption spectrum of e in the near-IR (up to 1800 nm) was observed in the temperature range 30–100 K. This IR absorption was not detected in the case of oxidized PP. In such a matrix electrons can be scavenged by oxidation products generating respective radical-anions (absorption in the UV RANGE, λ < 350 nm). In a doped matrix transient absorption bands centered at 450 and 500 nm were observed which can be assigned to the Py radical cation and anion, respectively. The recombination of these ionic species leads to monomer excited-state formation observed during and after the 17 ns pulse. Contrary to the Py-doped polyethylene no excimer emission was detected at room temperature even if Py content in PP was close to 0.02 mol dm−3. The rate of Py radical-ion decay was found to be temperature dependent. Two linear parts of the Arrhenius plot were observed which intersected at ca. 240 K, the glass transition temperature, Tg, for PP. The activation energies calculated for two parts of Arrhenius plot were equal to 111 and ca. 0.78 kJ mol−1 for T > Tg and T < Tg, respectively. Some preliminary results concerning the ionic processes in PP containing two solutes (Py, 3,3′-dimethyldiphenyl) were presented. The mechanism of ionic recombination in PP will be proposed and discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1217–1226, 1998