Synthesis and comparative properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) grafted alkyl acrylate

Low hydrogen-containing siloxane (l-PDMS) material was prepared by H ₂SO₄-catalyzed equilibration of octa-methyl cyclo tetra siloxane (D4), hexamethyl disiloxane (MM) and high hydrogen-containing siloxane (h-PDMS). Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) grafted methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), and butyl acrylate (BA) were prepared by Pt-catalyzed hydrosilylation reaction of l-PDMS and three acrylates, respectively. PDMS grafted alkyl acrylate not only preserves the properties of PDMS, but also adds new ones. Viscosity, viscosity-temperature coefficient (VTC), viscosity-index (VI), and TGA experiments indicate that the grafted copolymers have outstanding thermal stability as PDMS. The measurement of surface tension (ST) shows the grafted copolymers have low surface energy as PDMS. However, emulsifiability, lubricity, and solubility in organic solvent, such as acetone, isopropanol, of PDMS grafted alkyl acrylate were better than the properties of PDMS, which can be very useful for fine chemical industry.