Poly(n-butyl acrylate) grafted cross-linked poly(vinyl chloride) beads via surface-initiated controlled/"Living" radical polymerization and its adsorption properties for organic solvents

Poly(n-butyl acrylate) grafted cross-linked poly(vinyl chloride) beads (PBA-PVC) were prepared by the surface-initiated controlled/"living" radical polymerization (SI-CLRP) methodology on cross-linked poly(vinyl chloride) beads that had been surface modified with diethyldithiocarbamyl groups under UV irradiation. The macroinitiators, diethyldithiocarbamyl surface modified cross-linked poly(vinyl chloride) beads (DEDTC-PVC), were prepared by the reaction of the surface C-Cl groups with sodium N,N-diethyl dithiocarbamate. The "grafting from" polymerization exhibited some "living" polymerization characteristics and the percentage of grafting (PG%) increased linearly with polymerization time and reached 53.3% after 6 h UV irradiation. The beaded polymer with a poly(n-butyl acrylate) surface shell were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The absorbencies of the polymer beads towards organic solvents such as acetone, ethanol, toluene, and chloroform were enhanced markedly after the SI-CLRP of n-butyl acrylate.