Investigation of the surface properties of POSS-modified polyacrylate by inverse gas chromatography

The surface properties of poly(methyl methacryl-ate-co-n-butyl methacrylate-co-cyclopentyl methacryloxy propyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane) (poly(MMA-co -BMA-co-POSSMA)) were studied by means of inverse gas chromatography (IGC) using 10 non-polar and polar solvents as the probes. Thermodynamic parameters of adsorption, such as the dispersive component of the surface energy, the specific interaction contribution to the free energy of adsorption and the acid/base constants of polymer surface were determined. It was found that incorporation of POSSMA into polymer resulted in increasing interactions between polymers and solvents, dispersive component of surface free energy of polymer and acidity of the surfaces of the polymers. The more the POSSMA were embedded, the larger the dispersive component of the surface free energy was, and the acidic character of the polymer surface was more obvious.