FT-IR spectroscopy as analytical tool in the reactive processing technology of Polycarbonate
Zimmerer Cordelia (1)*, Ziegler Lisa (1), Häußler Liane (1), Janke Andreas (1), Heinrich Gert (1)
(1) Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden - Saxony - Germany
Bisphenol-A-based Polycarbonate (PC) is an often used engineering material with excellent mechanical and optical properties but with a limited hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. A functionalization or surface modification of PC offers an increasing field of applications. A chemical reaction of PC with Amines often results in Bock-co-polymer formation and PC degradation [1]. However, the reaction is accompanied by an erosion process of PC reducing the mechanical stability of the materials.
An alternative approach is based on solid-state reactions at the PC surface. Solid-state reactions are quite complex and often totally different to reactions in solution state. As various reaction pathways with different kinetics may occur the characterization of molecular processes is not only technologically important but essential for understanding the reactive processing of Polycarbonate. FT-IR spectroscopy is a molecular sensitive technique to characterize the formation of functional groups as well as their intermolecular and intramolecular interaction.
The understanding of interfacial reactions of PC with amino-group containing materials offers the possibility to design new types of composite materials produced by aligned reactive processing technologies [2].
[1] C. Zimmerer, J. Nagel, G. Steiner, G. Heinrich, Macromol. Mater. Eng. (2016), 301(6), 648-652
[2] C. Zimmerer, F. Wolff-Fabris, E.Koch, G.Steiner, G.Heinrich, Polymer (2013), 54(25), 6732-6738