Structure and Properties of Networks Based on N-vinylpyrrolidone and Triethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate

Abstract

Using the radical copolymerization in bulk, the networks of N-vinylpyrrolidone and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate are obtained from the monomer mixture (80: 20, wt %) in the absence and in the presence of a branched copolymer consisting of the same monomer units as a template agent with the porogen function (20 wt %). It is found that the kinetics of N-vinylpyrrolidone and triethylene glycol copolymerization in the presence and in the absence of the polymer additive follows the bimodal pattern related to the copolymerization of monomers with strongly different reactivities and the homopolymerization of a less active monomer (VP) occurring in the structured densely crosslinked polymer matrix. It is shown that soluble components are extracted from the polymer networks using isopropyl alcohol and chloroform; the composition of gels and sols during the copolymerization is studied. The thermal and diffusion-sorption properties of the polymer networks obtained in the absence and in the presence of the polymer additive are investigated. The results of the diffusion-sorption probing of the polymer networks by water vapor after extraction of the polymer additive indicate the presence of pores in them. It is shown that the low-temperature adsorption of nitrogen is inapplicable to estimation of the surface characteristics of the polymer networks.