Thermal properties, specific interactions, and surface energies of PMMA terpolymers having high glass transition temperatures and low moisture absorptions

We have prepared a series of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-based terpolymers that have high glass transition temperatures and low moisture absorptions by the free radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate, methacrylamide, and styrene in dioxane. We have investigated the effects of the styrene content on the glass transition temperatures, hydrogen bonding interactions, surface energies, moisture absorption, and molecular weights of these poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylamide-co-styrene) (Poly(MMA-co-MAAM-co-S)) terpolymers by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, contact angle measurements, and gel permeation chromatography. The results indicate that the glass transition temperatures, hydrogen bonding strengths, surface energies, molecular weights, and the moisture absorption decreased upon increasing the PS content in most of the terpolymer systems. In addition, the moisture absorptions of some selected terpolymers decreased even through they possess higher values of Tg than pure PMMA. These selected terpolymers have the potential to replace pure PMMA in optical device applications.