Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), near-infrared (NIR)-excited FT-Raman, and FT-NIR spectra have been measured for poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in a cast film over a temperature range of 40−140 °C, to investigate structures of hydrogen bonds and their dissociation. The CO stretching bands in the FT-IR spectra are unraveled by a prevalent multiple species model for small aliphatic acids with various kinds of associated forms of carboxylic acid groups, namely cyclic dimer, linearly associated oligomers of COOH, and free COOH groups. These different structures of hydrogen bond persist even when the temperature rises well above the glass transition temperature. The FT-Raman spectra confirm the existence of such COOH groups. Temperature-dependent intensity changes in the first overtone of an OH stretching mode of PAA reveal that the COOH groups dissociate significantly at high temperatures. We propose that the coexistence of various possible hydrogen-bond forms analogous to those in small aliphatic acids best interprets the vibrational spectral features of PAA. The oligomeric chains of COOH groups in PAA may explain the previously proposed cooperative hydrogen bond in PAA or polymer blends containing PAA.

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Stimuli-responsive materials are of immense importance because of their ability to undergo alteration of their properties in response to their environment. The properties of such materials can be tuned by subtle adjustments in temperature, pH, light, and so forth. Among such smart materials, multi-stimuli-responsive polymeric materials are of pronounced significance as they offer a wide range of applications and their properties can be tuned through several mechanisms. Here, we aim to highlight some recent studies showcasing the multi-stimuli-responsive character of these polymers, which are still relatively little known compared to their single-stimuli-responsive counterpart.