Miscibility and interactions in poly(methylthiomethyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends

Poly(methylthiomethyl methacrylate) (PMTMA) is miscible with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) over the whole composition range as shown by the existence of a single glass transition temperature in each blend. The interaction between PMTMA and PVA was examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The interactions mainly involve the hydroxyl groups of PVA and the thioether sulfur atoms of PMTMA, and the involvement of the carbonyl groups of PMTMA in interactions is not significant. The measurements of proton spin–lattice relaxation time reveal that PMTMA and PVA do not mix intimately on a scale of 1–3 nm, but are miscible on a scale of 20–30 nm. In comparison, we have previously found that PMTMA is miscible with poly(p-vinylphenol) and the two polymers mix intimately on a scale of 1–3 nm.