Increasing the Tackiness of Statistical Poly(Butyl Acrylate) and Poly(Ethyl Acrylate) Network Materials via RAFT Polymerization

Theadditionof the RAFT agent S-ethyl-propane-2-ylonate-S'-hexyl-trithiocarbonate (EPHT) to the crosslinking polymerization forming poly(butylacrylate-co-1,4-butanediol-diacrylate) and poly(ethylacrylate-co-1,4-butanediol-diacrylate) increased the tackiness of the produced material. This was measured by rolling ball tack tests. The reasons for this effect were found in the reduction of hard nanogel domains on the surface of these networks, which was studied via Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). In conventional networks which were synthetized in the absence of EPHT these domains act as spacers. The absence of the nanogels allows a close contact between adherent and the network surface, which in addition is covered by non-crosslinked polymer, which further increases the wetting abilities of the networks made by RAFT polymerization.