Photopolymerization Pattern of New Methacrylate Cellulose Acetate Derivatives

Polymeric photocrosslinked networks, of particular interest in the design of materials with targeted characteristics, can be easily prepared by grafting light-sensitive moieties, such as methacrylates, on polymeric chains and, after photochemical reactions, provide materials with multiple applications via photopolymerization. In this work, photopolymerizable urethane-methacrylate sequences were attached to free hydroxyl units of cellulose acetate chains in various proportions (functionalization degree from 5 to 100%) to study the properties of the resulting macromolecules and the influence of the cellulosic material structure on the double bond conversion degree. Additionally, to manipulate the properties of the photocured systems, the methacrylate-functionalized cellulose acetate derivatives were mixed with low molecular weight dimethacrylate derivatives (containing castor oil and polypropylene glycol flexible chains), and the influence of UV-curable composition on the photopolymerization parameters being studied. The achieved data reveal that the addition of dimethacrylate comonomers augmented the polymerization rates and conversion degrees, leading to polymer networks with various microstructures.