Characterisation of poly(acrylamide) montmorillonite nanocomposite synthesised by polymerisation induced by UV radiation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to use alternative polymerisation methods, i.e. UV irradiation to synthesise poly(acrylamide) montmorillonite nanocomposite and characterise the composite.Design methodology approach - Polymer montmorillonite nanocomposite was synthesised by the polymerisation, induced by UV radiation and the structure of the composite was studied by means of FTIR, NMR(13 C, 27Al and 29Si) and X-ray diffraction.Findings - The poly(acrylamide) montmorillonite nanocomposite was synthesised by UV irradiation, and its structures showed that the acrylamide was intercalated in the lamina of montmorillonite in bimolecular layers. FTIR and NMR analyses showed that there was no major chemical change of the polymer chain associated with the intercalation. The interaction between montmorillonite and polymer was mainly related with the van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding, not with the bonding involved with the carbon atoms.Research limitations implications - There are few reports on the synthesis and characterisation of polymer montmorillonite composite prepared with UV radiation.Practical implications - The alternative synthesis method using UV irradiation can provide a new way for the preparation of montmorillonite acrylamide nanocomposite for the application in moisture and organic solvent vapour sensors, etc.Originality value - This provides a way for the synthesis of polymer montmorillonite nanocomposite using polymerisation induced by UV radiation, which can be used in the thin membrane preparation for sensor and special application. Characterisation of the material revealed the structure of the nanocomposite, which would be helpful for the study of structure design and property improvement.