IN-SITU POLYMERIZATION OF STYRENE IN AAO NANOREACTORS

JUAN M. GIUSSI; IWONA BLASZCZYK LEZAK; M. SUSANA CORTIZO; CARMEN MIJANGOS

Pisa

Congreso; European Polymer Congress EPF 2013; 2013

In-situ polymerization of monomers in reduced spaces of anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) nanocavities can give rise to the production of versatile polymer nanostructures: nanofibers, nanotubes, etc. In this work, AAO templates of 38 nm of diameter have been used as nanoreactor to study the radical polymerization of styrene (St) in confinement as a function of time and the results compared to those of bulk polymerization. Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) has been performed to study the formation of the polymer through the AAO cavities (fig 1a) and to determine the monomer conversion for styrenic polymerization. SEM morphological study has been conducted to establish the final structure of polymer nanostructures. Polystyrene obtained in the nanoreactor was characterized by SEC, NMR, TGA and DSC and the results compared to those of bulk polymer. By NMR is observed higher stereospecificity for polystyrene obtiened in confinement than obtained in bulk. The average molecular weights and polydispersity index of nanostructured polymer are lower than those of polymer obtained in bulk. Thermal stability and Tg values are higher for nanostructured than bulk polymers