Epoxy Ring Opening of Glycidylmethacrylate: Synthesis and Characterization of Bio-macromonomer

Polymeric macromonomers are containing one or more polymerizablefunctional groups, which are typically located at the chain end(s) or side chain. They can be polymerized with low molecular weight monomers to generate brush-like [1] and complex structures such as graft copolymers, star polymers, and dendronized polymers [2]. Generally, two synthetic strategies have been used to prepare near monodispersemacromonomers: a) direct synthesis of macromonomers using a vinyl-functional initiator that does not participate in the chaingrowth reaction and b) preparation of end-functionalized polymers, followed by postpolymerization modification [2]. Until recently, however, these polymers have been prepared through polymerization them by free-radical polymerization processes [3]. In this work a bio-macromonomer was synthesized by reaction of Glycidylmethacrylate (GMA) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) in N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent. For this purposePVA was resolved in the solvent and then GMA was added to the solution mixture and the reaction was carried out for 24hr at room temperature under Ar atmosphere. After completion of the reaction the product was precipitated in methanol as nonsolvent and washed with ether several times.The macromonomer was characterized with Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR),1HNMR,13C NMR, TGA and SEM analysis.