Spectroscopic analysis of cis-polyisoprene and polymethyl methacrylate graft copolymers

Abstract

This paper explains the used of Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) Nocolet MX-1 in analysing the PMMA content of the graft copolymer cis-polyisoprene/PMMA leading to its suspected mechanism. Both qualitative and quantitative applications were used. Graft copolymers were synthesized by free-radical polymerization utililising benzoyl peroxide as an initiator and toluene as the solvent. Samples were analysed for three different polymerization time. The proposed grafting mechanism were confirmed by FTIR analysis on the product obtained after the degradation of the backbone chain. Calibration of the FTIR was accomplished with the used of PMMA standard of number average molecular weight, Mn 125, 000.