Insights on the Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma-Induced Free-Radical Polymerization of Allyl Ether Cyclic Carbonate Liquid Layers

Abstract

Plasma-induced free-radical polymerizations rely on the formation of radical species to initiate polymerization, leading to some extent of monomer fragmentation. In this work, the plasma-induced polymerization of an allyl ether-substituted six-membered cyclic carbonate (A6CC) is demonstrated and emphasizes the retention of the cyclic carbonate moieties. Taking advantage of the low polymerization tendency of allyl monomers, the characterization of the oligomeric species is studied to obtain insights into the effect of plasma exposure on inducing free-radical polymerization. In less than 5 min of plasma exposure, a monomer conversion close to 90% is obtained. The molecular analysis of the oligomers by gel permeation chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (GPC-HRMS) further confirms the high preservation of the cyclic structure and, based on the detected end groups, points to hydrogen abstraction as the main contributor to the initiation and termination of polymer chain growth. These results demonstrate that the elaboration of surfaces functionalized with cyclic carbonates could be readily elaborated by atmospheric-pressure plasmas, for instance, by copolymerization.