Polymer Modification

Many modifications are possible:

• Hydrolysis
  
  
• Amination
  
  
• Grafting, cross-linking (e.g. ‘vulcanization')
  
  
• Huisgen cycloaddition, ‘Click reactions'

Hydrolysis

Automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization reactions (ACOMP) is used for studying postpolymerization production of a polyelectrolyte - demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring changes in polymer properties while a modification reaction is occurring.

NaOH hydrolysis of acrylamide to carboxylate (A. Paril, A. M. Alb, W. F. Reed, Macromolecules 2007, 40,4409-4413)

At any rate, ACOMP is not restricted to postpolymerization conversion of neutral polymers to polyelectrolytes. Reactions that change mass or interactions with other polymers or small molecules can be followed, and chemically sensitive detectors can be added to the detector train to monitor changes infunctional groups.