Thermomechanical Synergisms from Ionic Liquid Doping of Poly(methyl methacrylate)

A synergism between methyl methacrylate and an amphiphilic ionic liquid acrylate 1-(11-acryloyloxyundecyl)-3-methyl imidazolium bromide (IL) not only increases the apparent thermal stability (kinetic retardation of thermal decomposition) of poly(MMA-co-IL) copolymers by 50 °C at relatively low doping levels of 0.5 mol %, but also increases the storage (∼10%) and loss (15-25%) moduli over 0-75 °C (increasing the elasticity). Moderate to high doping levels provide plasticization without the risk of leaching or plasticizer contamination.