Simultaneous Measurement of Fluorescence, Conversion and Physical/mechanical Properties for Monitoring Bulk and...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Simultaneous monitoring of polymerization kinetics, rheology, and fluorescence is crucial for understanding complex polymer network formation.
• Developing advanced analytical techniques is essential for characterizing composite materials and their curing processes.
• Functionalized nanogels offer unique properties for tailored material development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a novel multi-spectroscopic technique for real-time monitoring of polymerization reactions.
• To investigate the influence of nanogel structure on local network development in UV-curable resins.
• To synthesize and utilize a methacrylate-functionalized dansyl chromophore (DANSMA) as a polymerizable fluorescent probe.

Main Methods:

• Coupling of Fourier Transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy, rheometry, and fluorescence spectrophotometry.
• Synthesis of a methacrylate functionalized dansyl chromophore (DANSMA).
• Preparation of resin formulations containing DANSMA probe, matrix monomer, initiator, and dispersed nanogels.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous tracking of polymerization kinetics, storage modulus, and fluorescence was achieved in real-time.
• The placement of the fluorescent probe (DANSMA) allowed for the study of nanogel structure effects on local network development.
• The technique successfully monitored reactions occurring in both the resin and polymerizable nanogel phases of a composite system.

Conclusions:

• The coupled spectroscopic technique provides a powerful tool for in-situ monitoring of complex polymerization processes.
• This method enables detailed investigation into the structure-property relationships of polymer nanocomposites.
• The developed approach offers new possibilities for optimizing the formulation and processing of UV-curable resins and advanced materials.