Amorphous polyacrylonitrile: Synthesis and characterization

Amorphous polyacrylonitrile was successfully synthesized with bis(pentamethyleneimino)magnesium in heptane at 70°C. The amorphousness of the polymer increased with rising polymerization temperature and was favored by the nonpolar solvent. The polymer showed regular head‐to‐tail sequences which were confirmed by converting the polymer into polyacrylic acid and polymethylacrylate. The amorphous PAN produced a broad x‐ray diagram with a maximum at 2θ = 16.1° and a less intense halo at 2θ = 27.5°. This pattern did not change after heat treatment. The synthesis of amorphous PAN strongly supports Imai's hypothesis that polyacrylonitrile consists of paracrystalline and amorphous phases. The amorphous PAN also tends to support Minami's assignment of the two absorptions in the temperature dependence of the dynamic loss tangent; the absorption at the lower temperature (110°C) is due to molecular motions in the paracrystalline phase and the absorption at the higher temperature (160°C) is attributed to the molecular motions in the amorphous region.