Kinetics and reaction mechanism of template polymerization investigated by conductimetric measurements. Part 3. Radical polymerization of acrylic acid in the presence of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)

Abstract

Conductimetry was used for monitoring the radical polymerization of a weak electrolyte (acrylic acid) in aqueous solution and for determination of the kinetic parameters of the reaction (reaction order with respect to monomer, activation energy). The results obtained were consistent with those determined by other techniques (such as dilatometry) or expected from theory. Dilatometric and conductimetric measurements were also used to study the template polymerization of acrylic acid onto poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone). Results indicate that the reaction proceeds according to a pick-up mechanism. Complexes between poly(acrylic acid) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) were always isolated in equimolar composition of the two polymers, regardless of the polymerization mixture composition. Spectroscopic evidence of the existence of strong interaction and intimate mixing of the two polymers in the complexes was found. An influence of the template molecular weight on the chain length of the forming poly(acrylic acid) was detected by means of viscometry. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry