POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY, vol.98, no.1, pp.356-360, 2013 (SCI-Expanded)
The thermal degradation characteristics of block copolymers of poly(2-vinylpyridine) with polystyrene, PS-b-P2VP, polyisoprene, PI-b-P2VP and poly(methyl methacrylate), P2VP-b-PMMA, were investigated via pyrolysis mass spectrometry. DP-MS analyses indicated that the thermal degradation of each component of the copolymers, except P2VP-b-PMMA, occurred independently through the decomposition pathways proposed for the corresponding homopolymers. In case of P2VP-b-PMMA, significant decrease in the thermal stability of P2VP chains and evolution of products generated due to strong interaction between P2VP and PMMA chains were detected. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.