Pyrolysis mass spectrometry analysis of poly(vinyl acetate), poly(methyl methacrylate) and their blend coalesced from inclusion compounds formed with γ-cyclodextrin

Direct insertion probe pyrolysis mass spectrometry (DIP-MS) analyses of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and binary PMMA/PVAc guests, coalesced from their inclusion compounds (ICs) formed with host gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) through removal of the gamma-CD host, have been performed. A slight increase in the thermal stabilities of the coalesced polymers were recorded both by TGA and DIP-MS compared to the corresponding as-received polymers. The DIP-MS observations pointed out that the thermal stability and degradation products of these polymers are affected once they are included inside the IC channels created by the stacked host gamma-CDs. DIP-MS observations suggested that the degradation mechanisms for PMMA and PVAc chains in their coalesced blend were significantly altered from those observed in their as-received and solution blended samples. This was attributed to the presence of specific molecular interactions between the intimately mixed PMMA and PVAc chains in their coalesced blend. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.