PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(2,6-DIMETHYL-1,4-PHENYLENE OXIDE) AND NYLON-6 GRAFT COPOLYMER .1. ANIONIC GRAFT-COPOLYMERIZATION OF EPSILON-CAPROLACTAM ON POLY(2,6-DIMETHYL-1,4-PHENYLENE OXIDE) MACROINITIATOR CONTAINING CARBONYLCAPROLACTAM GROUPS

Abstract

A poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO, 1) macroinitiator having carbonyl-caprolactam groups was prepared through metalation of methyl group of PPO and subsequent modification to introduce carboxyl group, acid chloride group, and finally carbonylcaprolactam group. Anionic ring opening copolymerization of epsilon-caprolactam took place onto the macroinitiator to give a graft copolymer of PPO and Nylon 6. The structure of intermediate materials and the graft copolymer were characterized by H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, and IR spectroscopy. Glass transition temperatures and melting temperatures of these materials are also reported. It is found that the copolymer has a micophase-separated morphology even with segment molecular weight as low as 3000.