Polyacrylic acid (PAA)/clay mineral (SWy-1) nanocomposites were prepared by intercalation in solution and their photostability was evaluated. For the nanocomposite films containing 5, 10 and 20 wt % in SWy-1 mass occurred intercalation along with some clay exfoliation, while for PAA/30%SWy-1, the intercalation of PAA chains into the clay interlayers was observed. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of the films suggested that nanocomposite films are homogeneous, indicating efficient dispersion of the polymer matrix into the SWy-1 clay. The thermal degradation temperatures of depolymerisation for the nanocomposite films were higher (362-370 °C) than pure PAA (361 °C), which means that the presence of SWy-1 clay promotes thermal stabilization.The photooxidative degradation of pure PAA and nanocomposite films was followed using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). The degradation rate constant for pure PAA was higher than nanocomposite films; therefore, the increase of SWy-1concentration detained the degradation of PAA. The presence of SWy-1 clay contributes for the photostabilization of the material. SWy-1 has ability to disperse the incident light as well as also to absorb part of the UV light instead of PAA, hence minimizing the degradation rate.

This paper describes the activities in the area of Photochemistry in Brazil, from its origins at the beginning of the last Century until now. The original Research Groups (formed until 1980) in this area, as well as those created afterwards are indicated. Different orientations and specialties in photochemistry, and their extensions and uses in other fundamental and applied areas are mentioned. The number of indexed scientific papers published by photochemists based in Brazil increased from 30 to 130 during the 2000-2016 period.

Experimental dental resins composed of triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, urethane dimethacrylate, ethoxylated bisphenol-A-dimethacrylate and bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate containing an organoclay as filler were prepared by photopolymerization. The addition of organoclay fillers results in slower polymerization rates (0.59 and 0.24 mol L-1 min-1, for the formulations without and with 15% of organoclay, respectively) and lower degrees of conversion (0.50 and 0.35 for the formulations without and with 15% of organoclay), as determined by photocalorimetry. The influence of the organoclay on the thermal and mechanical properties of the resins was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) techniques. The (tan δ) and E´ curves indicate the formation of more rigid materials and the damping curve data indicates more homogeneous materials. An increase of storage modulus, E’, was observed for composites with the higher organoclay filler contents. These effects are due to the higher viscosity of the systems with organoclay, resulting in a lower mobility of the radicals during the propagation step of polymerization, as well as to the scattering of the incident photopolymerizing radiation, which lowers the amount of initiation centres.

Compósitos de poli(óxido de etileno) (PEO) com argila montmorilonita SWy-1 e estabilizantes (2-hidroxibenzofenona e tinuvin 770) foram preparados pelo método de intercalação em solução. Os filmes obtidos foram expostos a irradiação UV, e os produtos da fotodegradação foram monitorados por FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, ou Espectroscopia no infravermelho por transformada de Fourier) e SEC (Size Exclusion Chromatography, ou cromatografia de exclusão por tamanho). O PEO puro apresentou maior coeficiente de degradação, kd, comparado com as demais amostras. O sistema que apresentou o menor valor para o coeficiente de degradação (kd = 1,9×10–6 mol g–1 h-1) foi o compósito de PEO/5%SWy-1 com 0,25% de tinuvin 770. Nesse caso, a estabilização da matriz de PEO pode ser atribuída à argila juntamente com o tinuvin 770. A argila dispersa e absorve a irradiação UV, e o tinuvin age como estabilizante do tipo HALS (do inglês hindered amine light stabilizer, ou estabilizantes à luz tipo aminas impedidas).

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with SWy-1 montmorillonite and stabilizers (2-hydroxybenzophenone and tinuvin 770) composites were prepared by intercalation in solution method. The films of the composites were exposed to UV irradiation. The photodegradation products were monitored by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and SEC (Size Exclusion Chromatography) method. The PEO pure showed higher degradation rate coefficients, kd , compared to the others samples. The system that showed the lowest value for the degradation rate coefficients (kd = 1.9×10–6 mol g –1 h –1) was the PEO/SWy-1 5% composite with 0.25% of tinuvin 770. In this case, the stabilization of the PEO matrix can be attributed to clay associated with tinuvin 770. The clay scatters and absorbs UV irradiation and tinuvin acts as a stabilizer of the HALS (hindered amine light stabilizers) kind.