We report successful incorporation of poly (vinyl acetate) (PVAc) into the narrow channels of its inclusion compound (IC) with urea (U). This is the first work involving such a polymeric host-cyclic guest inclusion system. The crystalline inclusion complex was obtained by a co-crystallization process and was studied using FTIR, WAXD and DSC. As previously observed with other urea-polymeric guest inclusions, PVAc-U-IC shows a higher melting temperature in comparison to urea and the IR spectra and diffraction patterns suggesting hexagonal packing of urea molecules around the polymer chains.  Behavior of PVAc after careful removal of urea has also been reported and was found to be similar to PVAc coalesced from its inclusion complex with gamma cyclodextrin. FTIR and NMR observations confirm the complete removal of urea during the coalescence process. DSC results indicate an increment in the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PVAc and this behavior is stable even after long time annealing of the polymer well above its glass transition temperature. This change can be attributed to the change in the morphology of PVAc from an entangled and random coiled to largely un-entangled and extended chain configuration.

Characterizing the formation and coalescence of an inclusion complex between poly (vinyl acetate) and urea

244th National Meeting (2012)

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