Free volume, thermal and morphological properties of photo-crosslinked thiol-Ene/ nanodiamond hybrid network

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the changes in free volume by adding acrylate modified nanodiamond particles. In this study, a cross-linked thiol-ene (T) network was obtained under ultraviole light. The changes in free volume were analyzed when acrylate-modified nanodiamond (M-ND) particles were added to the nanocomposites obtained. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), a well-established method, was used for this analysis. In addition, the effect of nanocomposites containing different ratios of acrylate M-ND particles (1, 2, 3 and 5 Wt. %) on the surface and the thermal properties were also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The impact of different quantities of acrylate M-ND on the free volume and surface morphological properties of thiol-ene polymer networks were studied by using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, attenuated total reflection, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, PALS and thermogravimetric analysis measurements.

Findings

The thermal properties of T/M-ND were found to depend on the weight percentages of the M-ND content. For increasing weight percentages of M-ND added to thio-lene polymer networks, the glass transition temperature (T_g) increased from 103°C to 154°C. The ortho-positronium (o-Ps) lifetime (free volume) and free volume fraction characterization of T/M-ND nanocomposites were investigated using PALS. Increasing temperature caused both the o-Ps lifetime (free volume) to change with increasing saturation and to linearly increase the intensity; however, an increasing weight percentage of M-ND caused no change at all for the o-Ps lifetime (free volume) and the free volume fraction.

Originality/value

According to published literature, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time a study examining the free volume properties in a thiol-ene system has been carried out.

Citation

Beyler Cigil, A., Madakbaş, S., Tav, C., Yahşi, U. and Kahraman, M.V. (2021), "Free volume, thermal and morphological properties of photo-crosslinked thiol-Ene/ nanodiamond hybrid network", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 50 No. 2, pp. 113-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRT-05-2020-0045