Pegylated Polybenzoxazine Networks from Miscible Blends of Tosylated Poly(ethylene glycol) and a Benzoxazine Monomer

Blends of BPA-based benzoxazine (BA-a) in end-group tosylated poly(ethyleneglycol) (mPEGOTs) are cured and characterized in this study. Their solubility, polymerization, and the macromolecular characterization are compared to analogue blends of BA-a in hydroxyl-terminated poly(ethyleneglycol) (mPEGOH). BA-a in either type of polymer with \u3e40 wt % monomer was found to have good homogeneity. The BA-a/mPEGOTs blends had a reduced curing temperature up to 50 °C less than that of the mPEGOH blends or of pure BA-a, confirming that the tosylated PEG is a cure promoter for ring opening polymerization (ROP) of BA-a. Free tosylate was detected by TGA-FTIR and TGA-MS during the cure of BA-a. It is proposed that free tosylate acts as a cure catalyst for BA-a ROP. Polybenzoxazine (PBA-a) cured in mPEGOTs consists of a phenolic rich molecular structure with strongly H-bonded hydroxyl groups and grafted PEG-chains as determined by H-NMR and FTIR. The homogenous microstructure of this material, P(BA-a)-graft-mPEGOTs, was confirmed by SEM. By manipulating the blending composition of the BA-a/mPEGOTs resin The glass transition temperature and the thermal stability of the P(BA-a)-graft-mPEGOTs can be tuned based on. These grafted polymers have various potential applications and may lead to novel materials for the electronics, membranes, biomedical plastics, and aerospace industries