Synthesis, thermal degradation and dielectric properties of poly[2-hydroxy,3-(1-naphthyloxy)propyl methacrylate]

2-Hydroxy-3-(1-naphthyloxy)propyl methacrylate (NOPMA) monomer was synthesized from reaction of 2-[(2-naphthyloxy)methyl]oxirane with methacrylic acid in the presence of pyridine. The polymerization of NOPMA was carried out by free radical polymerization method in the presence of AIBN at 60 °C. The structure of monomer and polymer was characterized by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy techniques. The glass transition temperature and average-molecular weights of poly(NOPMA) were measured using differential scanning calorimetry and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. The thermal degradation behavior of poly(NOPMA) has been investigated by FT-IR studies of the partially degraded polymer and thermogravimetry. The cold ring fractions (CRFs) were collected at two different temperatures, initially fraction-1 (CRF 1 ) is from room temperature to 320 °C, and the other fraction-2 (CRF 2 ) is from 320 to 500 °C. The volatile products of the degradation were trapped at −195 °C (in liquid nitrogen). All the fractions were characterized by FT-IR, 1 H and 13 C-NMR spectroscopic techniques, and the cold ring fractions (CRFs) were also characterized by GC–MS. For the degradation of polymer, the major compound between products of CRFs is α-naphthol. The GC–MS, FT-IR and NMR data showed that depolymerization corresponding to monomer was not prominent below 320 °C in the thermal degradation of poly(NOPMA). The mode of thermal degradation containing formation of the major products was identified. The dielectric permittivity ( ε ′), the loss factor ( ε ″) and conductivity (σ ac ) were measured using a dielectric analyzer in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 20 kHz.