Effect of fullerene (C70) on the structural, morphological optical and thermalproperties of poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)

Abstract

Poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)/Fullerene (C-70) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by solvent removal method and characterized by different techniques. Structural characterization showed an interaction between PBMA and C-70 nanofiller. Morphological features showed that C-70 was homogeneously distributed in the PBMA matrix. Optical analysis confirmed the formation of nanocomposites with wavelength shift in PBMA/C-70 nanocomposites compared to pure PBMA. Photoluminescence spectra showed that the emission bands of PBMA/C-70 nanocomposites shifted from blue to red and the presence of new emission spectra in the red region. The data obtained from thermal analysis showed that the T-g of the nanocomposites increased by about 10 degrees C compared to pure PBMA and the maximum decomposition temperatures improved by about 65-70 degrees C, confirming the increased thermal stability. The data obtained from thermogravimetric analyses performed at different heating rates were analyzed by Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) equations to calculate the activation energy values. According to the regression coefficient values, the experimental results were in good agreement with the FWO method (R-PBMA(2)=0.937 and R-PBMA/C70 (5 wt%)(2)=0.953). The activation energy of PBMA and fullerene doped nanocomposite were calculated as 48 kJ/mol and 104 kJ/mol, respectively and the results showed that the E-a value of nanocomposite was higher than PBMA.