Miscibility enhancement on the immiscible poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly (ethyl methacrylate) with poly (vinyl phenol)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The miscibility behavior of ternary blends of poly (vinyl phenol) (PVPh)/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)/ poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) was investigated mainly with calorimetry. PVPh is miscible with both PVP and PEMA on the basis of the single T g observed over the entire composition range. FTIR was used to study the hydrogen bonding interaction between the hydroxyl group of PVPh and the carbonyl group of PVP and PEMA at various compositions. Furthermore, the addition of PVPh is able to enhance the miscibility of the immiscible PVP/PEMA and eventually transforms it into a miscible blend, especially when the ratio between PVP/PEMA is 3:1, probably because of favorable physical interaction.

Combined X-ray Reflectivity and Infrared Study of the Effect of Hydrogen Bonding of the OH Group on the Relaxation Behavior in Ultrathin Polyvinylphenol Films on SiO2

“…PVPh is a proton donor, as it contains many hydroxyl groups, which makes it an excellent candidate for hydrogen bond formation. This property of PVPh has been applied extensively for the study of polymer blends, as it is miscible with numerous polymers. − Despite the abundance of research on PVPh polymer blends, the influence of hydrogen bonding on glass transition and physical aging in PVPh thin films has not yet been reported. Because of its ability to form hydrogen bonds, one would predict a strong interaction between PVPh and a polar substrate such as SiO 2 . , Strong polymer–substrate interactions tend to elevate the average T g of thin films by slowing down the molecular motion at the polymer–substrate interface. , However, similar to PS, − ,,,− the present study reveals that PVPh thin films on SiO 2 with initial thicknesses ranging from 150 to 30 Å demonstrate a drop in T g with a decreasing film thickness.…”