Aliphatic Polyamidoamine Hyperbranched Polymers/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites

Polyamidoamine hyperbranched polymer (Hyp)/clay nanocomposites were synthesized by using both of montmorillonite and laponite clays. Poly amidoamine hyperbranched polymer (Hyp) was prepared by one-pot polymerization via couple monomer methodology. Afterward, the amino ends of Hyp were modified with methyl methacrylate (MMA), styrene (St) and butyl methacrylate (n-BuMA) polymers which were previously prepared via ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) to form the corresponding new hyperbranched polymers Hyp(1), Hyp(2) and Hyp(3). Those formed polymers were inserted into the modified clay, such as montmorillonite and laponite to form their nanocomposites. The formed polymer/clay nanocomposites were characterized via XRD, TEM, and thermal analyses. The formed hyperbranched polymers generally showed intercalation behavior more than the exfoliation one mostly because of the bulkiness of the hyperbranched skeleton. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 525-537, 2010