Abstract
The ionomeric blend and the ionic aggregation studies by using a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) are presented. Two ionomers were prepared, one is barium polyacrylate and the other is barium polystyrenesulfonate. The blend of the two ionomers of the barium salts shows intermolecular ionic interaction between the carboxylated ionomer and the sulfonated ionomer. This interaction leads to considerable differences between the spectrum of the blend and the sum of the spectra of the pure ionomers. From our results, it is shown that ionic interactions must play an important role in the compatibility of the two ionomers. In the ionic aggregation study, the bands due to asymmetric stretching mode of carboxylate anion(COO-) in the carboxylated ionomer and the ionomer blend increase in intensity with increasing the divalent barium cations. These results indicate the formation of ion pairs. The doublet due to the asymmetric stretching modes of the carboxylate anion(COO-) is concerned with a sort of local structure found in the ion aggregation. By considering a possible structure for multiplets in the blend, the spectral splitting and the frequency shift are well explained.