CONTROLLABLE SPECIFIC INTERACTIONS AND MISCIBILITY IN POLYMER BLENDS .2. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN RESULTS

In this paper, we briefly report the main results of our work on the effect of introducing specific interaction on the miscibility of otherwise immiscible polymer blends. A strong proton‐donating unit (CF3)2(OH)C‐ was incorporated into polystyrene (PS(OH)). A series of blends of PS(OH) with one of polyacrylates such as PBA, PMMA, PEMA and PBMA was studied. The infrared spectra of the blends present convincing evidence of the formation of hydrogen bonding. The frequency shift of the OH stretching band due to H‐bonding is independent of the structure and composition of the hydroxyl‐containing polymers, but clearly dependent on those of the counterpolymers. Both excimer and nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) fluorescence techniques have proved effective for monitoring the variation of the degree of molecular interpenetration with the density and strength of the hydrogen bonds in the blends. TEM observations reveal clear and regular variation in the morphology of the blends with the content of hydroxyl‐containing groups. The morphological features of this kind of blends are almost controllable since the structure and/or amount of the introduced groups forming hydrogen bonding are readily adjusted in chemistry. NRET and viscosity measurements of solutions of polyacrylate and PS(OH) with relatively high hydroxyl contents in toluene provide evidence of the intermolecular complexation. In addition, the effect of introducing simultaneously crosslinking and intermolecular hydrogen bonding into blends of PS and PBA on miscibility was studied. It is concluded that single phase IPN can be prepared, but much higher content of the proton donor is needed in comparison with the blends of the corresponding linear polymers. The interlocking structure of the networks appears unfavourable to forming miscible IPN. Copyright © 1990 Hüthig & Wepf Verlag