Hydrophilicity and crystallization behavior of PVDF/PMMA/TiO2(SiO2) composites prepared by in situ polymerization

  • Xuejuan Zhao
  • Wei Zhang
  • Shuangjun Chen
  • Jun Zhang
  • Xiaolin Wang
Original Paper
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Accepted:

Abstract

Composites with enhanced hydrophilicity were prepared by adding TiO2 or SiO2 nanoparticles during the in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The hydrophilicities of the PVDF/PMMA/TiO2(SiO2) composites generated in this manner were characterized by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hydrophilicity was dependent on nanoparticle content; it gradually increased with increasing TiO2 (or SiO2) content when the TiO2 (or SiO2) content was no more than 4 wt% of PVDF. A homogeneous dispersion of the TiO2 (or SiO2) nanoparticles in the composite matrix was observed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analyses, the crystalline phase composition of PVDF was not influenced by the addition of TiO2 (or SiO2); PVDF crystallized predominantly in the α phase after in situ polymerization. Nevertheless, the nanoparticles can promote the formation of the β phase of PVDF in composites; the β-phase content increased with increasing TiO2 content, while it was almost independent of SiO2 content.

Keywords

In situ polymerization Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) Nanoparticles Hydrophilic modification Crystallization 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Basic Research Program of China (no. 2009CB623404) and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Xuejuan Zhao
    • 1
  • Wei Zhang
    • 1
  • Shuangjun Chen
    • 1
  • Jun Zhang
    • 1
  • Xiaolin Wang
    • 2
  1. 1.College of Materials Science and EngineeringNanjing University of TechnologyNanjingPeople’s Republic of China
  2. 2.Department of Chemical EngineeringTsinghua UniversityBeijingPeople’s Republic of China

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