TITLE:
Study of Hydrophobic Nature of Fullerene-Based Poly (Methyl Hydro Siloxane) and Polyacrylonitrile Interpenetrating Polymer Network
AUTHORS:
Mohd. Meraj Jafri, Meet Kamal, Subhash Mandal, Sanjay Kanojia
KEYWORDS:
Polyacrylonitrile, PMHS, IPN, Polymeric Network
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,
Vol.11 No.11,
November
23,
2023
ABSTRACT: In this study, the effect of combining different molecular domains on single platform has been reported that revealed a proper packing and interpenetration of fullerene spheres with the monomeric species. The fabricated IPN system exhibits hydrophobic behavior in nature. An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) of fullerene-based poly (methyl hydro siloxane) (PMHS) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was prepared. The synthesized polymer network was characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetric analysis (DSC), and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) technique. The IPN was analyzed by IR spectroscopy, which depicts presence of fullerene at 500 cm−1 and 1632 cm−1, presence of PHMS at 1050 cm−1, 1250 cm−1, 2225 cm−1, and 3000 cm−1 and presence of PAN at 3077 cm−1, 1299 cm−1, 1408 cm−1 and 2083 cm−1. Shifting in band positions indicated the interpenetration of the reacting species. DSC endotherm showed crystalline peak (Tc) at 117˚C, which indicated the crystalline nature of the synthesized IPN. The absence of Tg peak and clear observable Tc peak revealed crystalline behavior of polymeric network. The microstructure of the polymer network was observed by SEM technique, which revealed transparent and dual-phase morphology of the IPN surface. The fluorescent emission spectra of polymeric network were recorded on a spectrofluorometer which revealed fluorescent excitation and emission spectra of the IPN. The Emission spectra generated by radiative decay of excitations exhibit a maximal peak at 450 nm, suggesting that the synthesized IPN nanosheets were typically high-intensity blue light emitting materials. The FTIR investigations revealed multiple non-covalent interactions achieved by polymerization with physical anchoring on the polymeric network surfaces. Such interactions can be recognized as the driving force for the fabrication of hydrophobic flexible silicon-based materials with a self-cleansing action.