Reactions at polymer–polymer interfaces for blend compatibilization

Coupling functionalized polymers at the interface between them is a major route to compatibilize immiscible polymer blends. The reactively formed block or graft copolymers both stabilize morphology and enhance adhesion. Reactive coupling can also be used to increase the adhesion between coextruded films and for solvent-free synthesis of block copolymers, producing new nanostructured materials, not possible by normal synthetic routes. To produce materials with desirable final properties, it is important to predict how much copolymer will be formed under the processing conditions. This demands characterizing and understanding the interfacial reaction under processing conditions. This review focuses on our research that has investigated the major factors influencing the interfacial reaction such as the inherent reactivity of functional polymers, thermodynamic interaction between polymers, functional group location along a chain, and the effect of processing flows.