A Facile Catalytic Route for the Preparation of Poly(methyl acrylate)/Clay Nanocomposites

Polymer–clay nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention due to their enhanced thermal, mechanical, and structural properties compared to conventional polymer materials. In this study, poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA)/clay nanocomposites were prepared via a catalytic solution-based approach using 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) as the organocatalyst. The incorporation of the clay into the polymer matrix was achieved efficiently by exploiting the organocatalytic transesterification reaction between poly(methyl acrylate) and the hydroxyl groups of nanoclay under mild solution conditions. Structural characterization was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed that the glass transition temperature increased from 12.8°C for neat PMA to 19.4°C for the PMA/clay nanocomposite containing 10% clay, indicating restricted polymer chain mobility. Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis showed enhanced thermal resistance with increasing clay content, accompanied by an increase in char residue up to 12.49% at 700°C. Also, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed the formation of predominantly intercalated/exfoliated clay structures within the PMA matrix. The results indicate that the proposed catalytic strategy provides a simple and effective route for the preparation of polyacrylate-based polymer–clay nanocomposites.