Synthesis, characterization and water uptake behavior of hydroxyethyl cellulose and acrylonitrile based functional graft copolymers

Functionalization of polymeric matrices leads to formation of polymeric supports for various chemical transformation applications such as carriers, reagents, anchoring agents and catalysts. In the present study an attempt has been made to synthesis graft copolymers of acrylonitrile (AN) onto hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) by chemical initiation method using ammonium persultate (APS) as initiator and NNNN-tetramethylethylene diamine (TEMED) as accelerator Optimum conditions for the maximum grafting have been evaluated and under these optimum conditions crosslinked networks were synthesized by using N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (NN-MBAArn) as crosslinker. Graft copolymers and crosslinked networks have been functionalized with hydroxylamine to poly(acryl amidooxime) and quantification of the polymer conversions has been worked out. Evidence of functionalization of successive stage of synthesis has been provided. Different categories of the polymers have been characterized by nitrogen analysis, FTIR and water uptake properties. The latter has also been studied as a function of temperature and time.