Infrared carbonyl index

The carbonyl index is not a standard technique, but is a widely used convenient measurement for comparing the relative extent and rate of oxidation in series of related polymer samples. The carbonyl index is determined using mid-infrared spectroscopy. The method is based on determining the absorbance ratio of a carbonyl (vC = 0) band generated as a consequence of oxidation normalised normally to the intensity of an absorption band in the polymer spectrum that is invariant with respect to polymer oxidation. (In an analogous manner, a hydroxyl index may be determined from a determination of the absorbance intensity of a vOH band normalised against an absorbance band that is invariant to the extent of oxidation.) In the text following, two examples of multi-technique studies of polymer oxidation will be discussed briefly each includes a measure of a carbonyl index. 

As part of a multi-technique investigation (see also discussion under mid-infrared spectroscopy later), Corrales et al. [13] plotted the carbonyl index for films prepared from three grades of polyethylenes a high-density PE (HDPE), a linear low-density PE (LLDPE) and a metallocene PE (mPE) (see Figure 5). In this study, the data trend shown in Figure 5 correlated well with activation energies derived from the thermal analysis, which showed that the thermal-oxidative stability followed the order LLDPE > mPE > HDPE, whereas the trend... 

Figure 5 Left thermo-oxidative carbonyl index vs oven ageing times at 90°C. Right photo-oxidative carbonyl index vs irradiation time after exposure to UV radiation (300-800 nm wavelength). In each case, the carbonyl index is based on the intensity of the mid-infrared absorption at 1,720 cm-1 normalised against sample film thickness, d, which was 290 gm. Reprinted from Corrales et al. [13]. Copyright 2002, with permission from Elsevier. 

Undoubtedly the most powerful method of study in academic laboratories has been ir spectroscopy, advanced rapidly in recent years by the development of FTIR and microspectroscopy and by rapid improvement in sampling methods. Infrared spectroscopy can easily detect the formation of hydroxyl and carbonyl species, and a common technique is to monitor the time dependence of the so-called carbonyl index, the ratio of the intensity of the carbonyl absorption envelope to that of a chosen reference band. 

Coleman et al. 2471 reported the spectra of different proportions of poly(vinylidene fluoride) PVDF and atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA. At a level of 75/25 PVDF/PMMA the blend is incompatible and the spectra of the blend can be synthesized by addition of the spectra of the pure components in the appropriate amounts. On the other hand, a blend composition of 39 61 had an infrared spectrum which could not be approximated by absorbance addition of the two pure spectra. A carbonyl band at 1718cm-1 was observed and indicates a distinct interaction involving the carbonyl groups. The spectra of the PVDF shows that a conformational change has been induced in the compatible blend but only a fraction of the PVDF is involved in the conformational change. Allara M9 250 251) cautioned that some of these spectroscopic effects in polymer blends may arise from dispersion effects in the difference spectra rather than chemical effects. Refractive index differences between the pure component and the blend can alter the band shapes and lead to frequency shifts to lower frequencies and in general the frequency shifts are to lower frequencies. 

We calculate an index of hydrogen deficiency of three. A quick glance at the infrared spectrum reveals the source of unsaturation implied by an index of three a nitrile group at 2260 cm (index = two) and a carbonyl group at 1747 cm (index = one). The frequency of the carbonyl absorption indicates an unconjugated ester. The appearance of several strong C—O bands near 1200 cm confirms the presence of an ester functional group. We can rule out a CM2 bond because they usually absorb at a lower value (2150 cm ) and have a weaker intensity than compounds that contain C=N. 

Adamus et al. [26] studied copolymers with units of beta-butyrolactone (HB) and2-hydroxyhexanoic acid (2HHA) with ESI. The mixture of HB and 2HHA was stirred and heated at 70°C. The heating was continued until the racemic beta-butyrolactone was consumed, as determined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy (disappearance of beta-lactone carbonyl absorption band at 1815/cm).The copolymer yield was higher than 80%. The subsequent SEC analysis allowed to estabhsh that the polydispersity index is reasonably large ( I =1.6). 

These spectra were plotted from runs on a Jarrell-Ash 25-300 Raman spectrophotometer with a 4880 A argon ion laser. In some spectra the region from 4000 to 2000 cm" has been plotted so that the intensity is 0.5 times its true value compared to the rest of the spectrum. These are marked xO.5. Like the infrared spectra, these Raman spectra illustrate a group frequencies which are labeled directly on the spectra. Groups illustrated include alkanes in spectra 1-6, cyclohexanes 7-8, aromatics 9-12,15,17,18,20,21,25, 32-34, double bonds 13,14,24, isocyanate 15, triple bond 16, nitrile 17,18, carbonyls 19-26, alcohols 27-29, ether 30, amines 31, 32, nitro 33, C—Cl 34, C Br 35, and mercaptan 36. A molecular formula index of the Raman spectra follows. 

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