Thermal Degradation and Dynamic Fragility of a Novel Series of Polyampholytes

Understanding thermal degradation processes is crucial in novel materials as it reveals their thermal stability with temperature. In this study, we performed thermogravimetric analyses on a novel series of polyampholytes to identify their degradation mechanisms. Polyampholytes (PAs) are polymers with bulky monomer units that have both positively and negatively charged side groups. The newly synthesized series of PAs contains a hydrophobic unit in addition to the charged side groups. By analyzing Fourier‐transform infrared spectra of the PAs, which were annealed at various stages of the thermal degradation process, the degradation sequence was determined. The positively charged units degrade first, followed by the degradation of the hydrophobic units, and finally, the negatively charged units degrade at a much higher temperature. The dynamic fragility indices estimated for each PA variant using fast scanning calorimetry indicated that they are fragile glass formers (m > 80) with very high glass transition temperatures (~130°C or greater). Selected variants were electrospun to obtain fibrous mats. The average fiber diameter was ~65 nm. The nanoscale fibrous mats showed very high hydrophobicity and high oleophilicity, showcasing their suitability to be used in specific applications like oil–water filtration.