TY - JOUR
T1 - Light scattering of ideal random copolymers in bulk
AU - Koike, Kotaro
AU - Du, Qiming
AU - Nishino, Saori
AU - Koike, Yasuhiro
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partly supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) through its “Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program).” The authors would like to thank Dr. Okamoto, Director of Polymer Research Institute, Polytechnic School of Engineering of New York University for fruitful discussions.
PY - 2014/2/12
Y1 - 2014/2/12
N2 - Copolymerization is a useful way of modifying the physical properties of a material to meet specific needs, but it can result in a significant light scattering loss due to dielectric fluctuations in the material. Ideal random copolymers are known to be more transparent; however, the light-scattering properties of such copolymers in bulk have not been fully studied. In this paper, two representative ideal random copolymers were synthesized: methyl methacrylate (MMA)/benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and MMA/2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA). The effects of copolymer composition and polymerization temperature on the light-scattering properties were investigated. Polarized light scattering (VV) in copolymers was more sensitive to the polymerization temperature. Higher temperatures were necessary to homogenize the dielectric fluctuations and minimize excess light scattering. However, once the heterogeneous structures vanished, the copolymer bulk exhibited low scattering losses, which are comparable with homopolymers, over the entire range of copolymer compositions.
AB - Copolymerization is a useful way of modifying the physical properties of a material to meet specific needs, but it can result in a significant light scattering loss due to dielectric fluctuations in the material. Ideal random copolymers are known to be more transparent; however, the light-scattering properties of such copolymers in bulk have not been fully studied. In this paper, two representative ideal random copolymers were synthesized: methyl methacrylate (MMA)/benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) and MMA/2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA). The effects of copolymer composition and polymerization temperature on the light-scattering properties were investigated. Polarized light scattering (VV) in copolymers was more sensitive to the polymerization temperature. Higher temperatures were necessary to homogenize the dielectric fluctuations and minimize excess light scattering. However, once the heterogeneous structures vanished, the copolymer bulk exhibited low scattering losses, which are comparable with homopolymers, over the entire range of copolymer compositions.
KW - Ideal random copolymers
KW - Light scattering
KW - Monomer reactivity ratios
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U2 - 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.12.058
DO - 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.12.058
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84895062704
SN - 0032-3861
VL - 55
SP - 878
EP - 885
JO - Polymer (United Kingdom)
JF - Polymer (United Kingdom)
IS - 3
ER -