Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
Published on: January 19, 2016
Synthesis, surface properties and performance of thiosulphate-substituted plasticized poly(vinyl chloride)
1Polymer Chemistry Division, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, Satelmond Palace Campus, Trivandrum 695012, India.
Abstract:
Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was surface modified by nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atoms of PVC by thiosulphate in aqueous media in the presence of a phase-transfer catalyst. The properties of the modified surface were evaluated by contact angle measurements, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Migration of the plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from control as well as modified PVC was examined in hexane, in cottonseed oil and in poly(ethylene glycol)-400 (PEG-400). While the modified PVC was found to be highly migration resistant in hexane, cottonseed oil and PEG-400 extracted the plasticizer. The modified PVC was found to cause haemolysis and was cytotoxic. A possible explanation for the difference in performance of the modified material in different extraction media and its toxicity is presented from a mechanistic view of the substitution process.
Related Concept Videos
Preparation and Reactions of Sulfides
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...
Classification and Mechanical Properties of Synthetic Polymers
Plasticizers
Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...
Superplasticizers

