Modification of copolymers using nucleophilic reactions between glycidyl methacrylate and 9-anthracene carboxylic acid

Epoxide ring opening reaction is a route that explains the chemical modification of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymers with nucleophilic reagent containing hydroxyl, carboxyl or amine groups. In this work copolymers of GMA have been modified by incorporation of bulky 9-anthracene carboxylic acid groups. The glycidyl methacrylate polymers were prepared by radical copolymerization of GMA methyl, methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate and butyl acrylate mixtures. The polymers were modified through epoxy functional groups in two steps: (i) the glycidyl methacrylate copolymers were dissolved in N,N-di-methyl formamide; (ii) 9-anthracene carboxylate salt was added to the copolymers solutions prepared in step (i). The structure of all the resulting polymers was characterized and confirmed by FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopic techniques. The presence of bulky 9-anthracene carboxylate groups in polymer side chain leads to different applications in the polymer industry and also a series of novel modified polymers are obtained.