Block copolymerization and chain extension by using PAAm prepolymer initiated with Ce (IV)-malonic acid

The synthesis of block copolymers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-polyacrylamide (PAAm) was carried out with the use of PAAm-malonic acid (MA) prepolymer, which was a product of a redox polymerization initiated with the cerium sul phate-(MA) redox pair. The effects of prepolymer concentration and daylight on the yield and molecular structure were interpreted by means of FTIR spe ctroscopy. Furthermore, this prepolymer along with eerie ammonium nitrate w as also used to induce the radical polymerization of acrylamide, resulting in further chain extension. Both FTIR spectra and intrinsic viscosities of the samples showed that the chain extension of PAAm-MA with AAm was affecte d by temperature and prepolymer content. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.