Synthesis of Functionalized Poly( N -(3-carboxyphenyl)maleimide- alt -styrene) and Its Heat-Resistance Mechanism

Poly( N -(3-carboxyphenyl)maleimide- alt -styrene) with superior heat-resistance was synthesized by free radical copolymerization and its structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. To show the advantages in heat-resistance of the synthesized copolymers, the thermal properties of poly( N -phenylmaleimide- alt -styrene) and poly( N -phenylmaleimide- alt -maleic anhydride) with similar structures were determined. DSC/TG analysis showed that the synthesized copolymer exhibited the better thermal properties than two other copolymers due to the formation of a chemically crosslinked three-dimensional network during heating.