Synthesis and photopolymerizations of new hydroxyl-containing dimethacrylate crosslinkers

Two new hydroxyl-containing di(meth)acrylate monomers were synthesized from the reaction of methyl alpha-chloromethylacrylate (MCMA) and of ethyl alpha-chloromethylacrylate (ECMA) with glycerol. The monomers were obtained as mixtures of two isomers in different ratios and in combination with the analogous trimethacrylate monomers. Each monomer was isolated by column chromatography. The photopolymerization of these isomer mixtures and the trimethacrylate monomers was investigated individually by photodifferential scanning calorimetry (photoDSC) at room temperature using 2,2'-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetophenone (DMPA) as a photoinitiator. The effect of hydrogen bonding on the rates of polymerizations and conversions was examined. The results obtained for the synthesized monomers were compared to the values obtained for commercial monomers. It was observed that the hydroxyl-containing dimethacrylates polymerize much faster and to considerably higher conversion than the trimethacrylate monomers. The maximum rates of polymerization of the hydroxyl-containing monomers were higher than that of the hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA), comparable to glycerol dimethacrylate and lower than hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and 3-(acryloyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (AHM). (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.