Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 25 No 1 (2021): 105 - 118

 

 

 

 

COPOLYMERISATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE AND HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE VIA EMULSION POLYMERISATION TECHNIQUE

 

(Pengkopolimeran Metil Metakrilat dan Hidroksipropil Metilselulosa Melalui Teknik Pempolimeran Emulsi)

 

Noor Aniza Harun^1,2*, Liew Pei Chen¹, Anis Arina Zainudin¹, Tan Yea Tzy¹, Farhanini Yusoff¹

 

¹Faculty of Science and Marine Environment,

²Advanced Nano Materials (ANOMA) Research Group, Faculty of Science and Marine Environment,

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  nooraniza@umt.edu.my

 

 

Received: 22 September 2020; Accepted: 29 November 2020; Published:  20 February 2021

 

 

Abstract

Copolymerisation between methyl methacrylate (MMA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to produce poly(methyl methacrylate-co-hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) P(MMA-co-HPMC) nanoparticles was successfully prepared via an emulsion polymerisation technique. The effects of different molar ratios of MMA and HPMC monomers towards the copolymer formation, morphology, thermal stability and solubility were thoroughly discussed. Homopolymerisation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (P(MMA)) and poly(hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose) (P(HPMC)) was also carried out as control via emulsion polymerisation. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and potassium persulfate (KPS) were used as anionic surfactant and water-soluble initiator, respectively, throughout the emulsion polymerisation process. The formation of copolymer P(MMA-co-HPMC) and homopolymers of P(MMA) and P(HPMC) nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphology of copolymer and homopolymer nanoparticles was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The decomposition rate of homopolymer and copolymer nanoparticles was verified using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of homopolymer and copolymer nanoparticles was determined by a simple solubility test to obtain their degree of solubility in aqueous medium. It was found that the copolymers formed with higher molar ratios of MMA monomers were less thermally stable and possessed lower rates of solubility than that of the higher molar ratios of HPMC monomers.

 

Keywords:   methyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, copolymerization, emulsion polymerization, hydrophilic nanoparticles

 

Abstrak

Pengkopolimeran di antara metil metakrilat (MMA) dan hidroksilpropil metilselulosa (HPMC) untuk menghasilkan nanopartikel poli(metil metakrilat-ko-hidroksilpropil metilselulosa) (P(MMA-ko-HPMC)) berjaya disediakan melalui teknik pempolimeran emulsi. Kesan nisbah molar yang berlainan daripada monomer MMA dan HPMC terhadap pembentukan kopolimer, morfologi, kestabilan haba dan kelarutan telah dibincangkan dengan jelas. Penghomopolimeran poli(metil metakrilat) (P(MMA)) dan poli(hidroksilpropil metilselulosa) (P(HPMC)) juga dijalankan sebagai kawalan melalui pempolimeran emulsi. Sodium dodesil sulfat dan kalium persulfat digunakan sebagai surfaktan anionik dan agen pemula di sepanjang tindak balas pempolimeran emulsi. Pembentukan nanopartikel kopolimer P(MMA-ko-HPMC) dan homopolimer P(MMA) dan P(HPMC) telah disahkan oleh puncak penyerapan spektroskopi infra-merah Fourier (FTIR). Morfologi nanopartikel kopolimer dan homopolimer ditentukan dengan menggunakan mikroskopi pengimbasan elektron (SEM). Kadar penguraian nanopartikel homopolimer dan kopolimer ditentukan dengan menggunakan teknik termogravimetrik (TGA). Manakala keterlarutan homopolimer dan kopolimer nanopartikel ditentukan oleh ujian kelarutan mudah bagi menentukan tahap keterlarutan di dalam medium akues. Ianya didapati bahawa kopolimer yang terbentuk dengan nisbah molar monomer MMA yang lebih tinggi mempunyai kestabilan haba yang lebih rendah dan mempunyai kadar kelarutan yang lebih rendah daripada nisbah molar monomer HPMC yang tinggi.

 

Kata kunci:   metil metakrilat, hidroksilpropil metilselulosa, pengkopolimeran, pempolimeran emulsi, nanopartikel hidrofilik

 

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