SURFACE-INITIATED ATOM TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERIZATION (SI-ATRP) OF ACRYLAMIDE FROM POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE) FILM AND ITS SORPTION PROPERTY TOWARD MERCURY ION

The polyacrylamide surface grafted poly(vinyl chloride) (PAM-PVC) film was successfully prepared via a facile copper-mediated surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of acrylamide (AM) from the surfaces of the PVC thin film with their surface labile chlorines as initiation sites. Graft reaction was first-order kinetic with respect to the polymerizing time in the low monomer conversion stage, this being typical for ATRP. A percentage of grafting (PG) of 32.1% was achieved in 6 h, calculated from the elemental analysis results. The surface morphology of the product was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sorption property of the grafted film toward Hg (II) ion was also preliminarily investigated.