Synthesis and characterization of N-(2-acetyl benzofuran-3-yl) methacryl amide and ethyl methacrylate copolymer/graphite oxide composites and study of their kinetic and electrical properties

Copolymers of N-(2-acetylbenzofuran-3-yl) methacrylamide (BFMAA) and ethyl methacrylate (EMA) were prepared by radical copolymerization. The composition of copolymers was estimated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The composites of P(BFMAA39-co-EMA) [COP1] and P(BFMAA15-co-EMA) [COP2] loaded 18 wt% graphite oxide (GO) were prepared utilizing Ultrasonic Homogenizer Sonicator Processor. The FT-IR, DSC, TGA and SEM techniques were used in the characterization of the copolymers and composites. The thermal degradation behavior of COP1 was investigated by FT-IR studies of the partially degraded copolymer. And, this copolymer was able to form a four-member amide ring and imidization via intramolecular while being heated above 340 °C. Dynamic TG analysis under argon gas was used to investigate the thermal decomposition processes of pure COP1 and COP1/GO. Two degradation models including the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose methods were used to determine the apparent activation energy of the copolymer and its composite for approximately 65% of thermal decomposition occurred between 200 and 400 °C. The results also showed that average activation energy between 111.69 and 134.25 kJ/mol was obtained. The estimated activation energy values make it possible to build a simpler approach to expose the thermal decomposition behavior of copolymer and its composite. Dielectric and electrical behaviors of the copolymer composites having a semiconductor behavior filled with graphite oxide (GO) were investigated. The activation energy values of P(BFMAA15%-co-EMA)[COP2]/GO 18 wt% and COP1/GO 18wt% from dc conductivities were 0.182 eV and 0.245 eV, respectively.