Cellulose graft poly(butyl methacrylate) copolymers (Cellulose-g-PBMA) were prepared by homogeneous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) process. Cellulose chloroacetate(Cellulose-ClAc)
as macroinitiator
was synthesized first by direct acylation of cotton pulp cellulose with chloroacetyl chloride (ClC2OCl) in cellulose/LiCl/DMAc solution. Thereafter
Cellulose-ClAc was used for the ATRP of BMA (butyl methacrylate) mediated by the FeCl2/four-dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP) catalytic system. Acylation reaction and grafting polymerization conditions
such as reaction time
reaction temperature and ratio of reactants were investigated. The hydrophobicity of Cellulose-g-PBMA copolymer was studied with contact angle measurements. Cellulose-ClAc and Cellulose-g-PBMA were characterized by means of FTIR
NMR
SEM
TEM
AFM. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to analyze the characteristics of the activity of polymerization.