Thermodynamic and kinetic considerations: effect of β-cyclodextrin on methyl methacrylate dispersion polymerization

Effect of β-cyclodextrin (CD) on methyl methacrylate dispersion polymerization forming poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles was investigated. The presence of CD showed obviously effects on the polymerization, so as to increase the rate of polymerization and the conversion of monomer, as well as decrease the particle size. These effects were evidenced by the more increase in the CD content. The change of free energy derived from thermodynamic investigation in the present of CD was lower than that in the absence of CD. Also the monomer reactivity in the presence of CD is actually higher than that in the absence of CD. The decrease of free energy would be thermodynamically responsible for the increase of MMA conversion. The increase of monomer reactivity may take charge of increasing the polymerization rate. The dependency of particle size on CD content may be thermodynamically responsible for the change of macromolecular conformations of stabilizer due to the interaction of CD and stabilizer.