Molecular modeling of adhesion: the interaction of acrylate and methacrylate esters with aluminum oxide

A theoretical examination of Lewis acid-base interactions of ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate with a model aluminum oxide surface has been performed using semi-empirical, MNDO, molecular orbital calculations. Interactions of the carbonyl and carbon-carbon double bonds with aluminum oxide were evaluated. Overall, the structures formed by ethyl acrylate were more stable than those formed by methyl methacrylate. The highest stability was found for ethyl acrylate complexes involving the carbon-carbon double bond. These results tally with experimental studies of the adhesion of electron-beam cured acrylic coatings to aluminum, which suggests indirectly that acrylic unsaturation interacts more strongly with aluminum oxide than does methacrylic unsaturation.