SYNTHESIS, PROPERTIES AND PHOTOCURING BEHAVIOR OF POLY(2-ACRYLAMIDO-ANTHRAQUINONE)

Poly(2-acrylamidoanthraquinone) has been prepared by free radical polymerization using a peroxide catalyst. Confirmation of polymer formation is obtained using H-1-FT NMR, gel permeation chromatography, thermal analysis and Fourier transform i.r. spectroscopy. The yellow-orange coloured polymer was highly soluble in chloroform with a number-average molecular weight of 3230 (Polystyrene standard). Using a polarizing microscope, solvent-cast films were found to be essentially amorphous and, from thermal analysis, there is a broad glass transition temperature range with a maximum at 128-degrees-C and a broad-weak melting point peak over the range 180-200-degrees-C. Absorption maxima and extinction coefficients are slightly lower than those of the corresponding monomer. In terms of its photoinitiator properties, it was found to exhibit the same photoactivity as the monomer in a mixed vinyl urethane-dimethacrylate prepolymer system as well as being more soluble. Both systems were also more effective as visible sensitizers than camphorquinone at an equivalent mol%.