A Study on the Preparation of the Thermally Responsive Poly (N-Vinyl Caprolactam) and Acrylate Derivative

Phùng Anh Tuấn; Cao Hồng Hà; Huỳnh Trung Hải

Issue: Số 7 - Tháng 4 - 2024 Hóa học - Công nghệ thực phẩm

A Study on the Preparation of the Thermally Responsive Poly (N-Vinyl Caprolactam) and Acrylate Derivative

Published: July 28, 2026

Abstract

Poly (N-vinyl caprolactam) (PNVCL) is a thermally responsive polymer that has attracted significant research interest. This study presents the photo-polymerization of N-vinyl caprolactam and acrylate derivative monomers using phenylbis(2,4,6-tri-methylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide as a photo-initiator and UV halogen lamps with wavelengths of 350 - 450 nm. The effects of photo-initiator concentration, reaction time and monomer concentration on the conversion efficiency were investigated. The structure and thermal responsiveness of the synthesized polymer were characterized by FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results showed that, under a reaction time of 30 minutes, a photo-initiator concentration of 2.2% and a monomer concentration of 3.5 g, the photo-polymerization conversion reached 90%. The obtained polymer exhibited thermal responsiveness in the range of 32 - 40°C, close to human body temperature, indicating its potential for biomedical applications.

Keywords

polymer thermal sensitivity photo-polymerization PNVCL photo-initiator

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