Cationic copolymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone with propylene oxide by a montmorillonite clay called Maghnite-H+ (Algerian MMT).

Abstract

Poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) is widely used in medicine due to its high biocompatibility, but Poly
(propylene oxide), due to its amorphous nature, retains its flexibility at low temperatures and is impermeable
to air, though hydrocarbons is a useful material in a number of applications. In this study, propylene oxide
copolymerized with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone was targeted, which would combine the advantages of propylene
oxide and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone to broaden the field of application, and the purpose of this paper is to study
the cationic copolymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone with propylene oxide by a montmorillonite clay called
Maghnite-H
+
(Algerian MMT). This new non-toxic cationic catalyst exhibited higher efficiency via the
polymerization of vinylic and heterocyclic monomers. Maghnite-H
+
can be easily separated from the polymer
product and regenerated by heating to a temperature above 100°C. The effect of some factors such as the
amount of the catalyst (Maghnite-H
+
), the temperature of reaction and the solvent were discussed.