Synthesis and photopolymerization of acrylic acrylate copolymers

Acrylate-functionalized copolymers were synthesized by the modification of poly(butyl acrylate-coglycidyl methacrylate) (BA/GMA) and poly(butyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate). C-13-NMR analyses showed that no glycidyl methacrylate block longer than three monomer units was formed in the BA/GMA copolymer if the glycidyl methacrylate concentration was kept below 20 mol %. We chemically modified the copolymers by reacting the epoxy group with acrylic acid to yield polymers with various glass-transition temperatures and functionalities. We studied the crosslinking reactions of these copolymers by differential scanning calorimetry to point out the effect of chain functionality on double-bond reactivity. Films formed from acrylic acrylate copolymer precursors were finally cured under ultraviolet radiation. Network heterogeneities such as pendant chains and highly crosslinked microgel-like regions greatly influenced the network structure and, therefore, its viscoelastic properties. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.