Characterization of azo-containing polydimethylsiloxanes and their copolymers with methyl methacrylate

Azo group-containing polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS–ACP), macroazoinitiators, were prepared by polycondensation reaction of 4,4′-azobis-4-cyanopentanoyl chloride (ACPC) with hydroxybutyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) of varying molecular weights. The activation energy (Ea), activation enthalpy (ΔH‡), and activation entropy (ΔS‡) of the thermodecomposition of PDMS-ACP in toluene increased with increase in poly-dimethyl-siloxane chain length (SCL) in PDMS moieties, while the activation free energy (ΔG‡) was independent on the SCL. The polydimethylsiloxane-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymers (PDMS-b-PMMA) were prepared by the use of PDMS-ACP macroazoinitiators, and they were characterized by 1H-, 29Si-, and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The microstructure and morphology of copolymers were investigated by proton spin–spin relaxation measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).