Determination of End Group Functionality in Poly(methyl methacrylate) Macromonomers by Pyrolysis Simultaneous Multidetection Gas Chromatography

The end groups in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) macromonomers and their radically polymerized prepolymers were determined using a pyrolysis gas cliromatograph (Py-GC) equipped with a simultaneous multidetection system. End groups associated with the initiator AIBN and the chain transfer reagents such as thioglycolic acid and mercaptopropionic acid were of particular interest. Various characteristic pyrolyzates that reflected the end groups in the PMMAs were observed on the pyrograms. Pyrolysates that contain sulfur from the chain transfer reagent residues in the end groups were determined on the basis of the pyrograms simultaneously obtained by a sulfur-selective flame photometric detector and an ordinary flame ionization detector (FID)