Synthesis of Polymethyl Methacrylate Microspheres in the Presence of Dextran and Its Derivatives

Emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by a carboxyl-containing azo initiator in the presence of a polymeric stabilizer (dextran or its functionalized derivatives) was studied with the aim to prepare monodisperse microspheres of polymethyl methacrylate with surface carboxy, amido, and aldehyde groups. The optimal conditions for formation of monodisperse microspheres were found, allowing control of their diameter in the submicrometer range and of the nature and content of surface functional groups.     

Monodisperse Microspheres Based on Acrolein Copolymers

Emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of acrolein with styrene and methyl methacrylate in the presence of potassium persulfate was developed to prepare microspheres with surface aldehyde groups. The kinetics of monomer copolymerization was studied and the conditions for preparing monodisperse microspheres 370-1000 nm in diameter were determined.     

Surface modification of monodisperse hydroxyl functionalized polymeric microspheres using ceric ammonium nitrate

The surface modification of monodisperse hydroxyl functionalized polymeric microspheres was carried out by utilizing a redox initiation system. Styrene, divinylbenzene and hydroxyethyl methacrylate were used as the second monomer in the seeded polymerization. An excessive amount of the second monomer emulsion was swollen into the polystyrene (PS) seed particles completely by controlling the medium solvency and swelling temperature. The hydroxyl functional groups were radicalized by the ceric ammonium nitrate in nitric acid solution, and the methyl methacrylate was reacted uniformly on the surface of microspheres. From the SEM, and FE-TEM measurements, highly monodisperse microspheres having a smooth surface, and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) coating layer were observed, respectively. The surface characteristics of the PS seed particles, hydroxyl functionalized and surface-modified polymeric microspheres were confirmed by utilizing FT-IR, XPS and thermal analysis.     

Morphogenesis and Crystallization of ZnS Microspheres by a Soft Template‐Assisted Hydrothermal Route: Synthesis,Growth Mechanism,and Oxygen Sensitivity

Almost monodisperse ZnS microspheres have been synthesized on a large scale by a hydrothermal route, in which tungstosilicate acid (TSA) was used as a soft template. By controlling the reaction conditions, such as reaction temperature, pH value of the solutions, and the reaction medium, almost monodisperse microspheres can be synthesized. The structure of these microspheres is sensitive to the reaction conditions. The growth mechanism of these nearly monodisperse microspheres was examined. Oxygen sensing is realized from ZnS microspheres. The current through the ZnS microspheres under UV illumination increases as the oxygen concentration decreases.     

A new type of monodisperse porous, hydrophilic microspheres with reactive chloroalkyl functionality: synthesis and derivatization properties

A seeded polymerization method based on a new functional monomer, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA-Cl), was proposed for the synthesis of a new type of monodisperse porous, hydrophilic microspheres with reactive character. By applying the method, poly(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (poly(HPMA-Cl-co-EDMA)) microspheres in the range of 4–7 μm, with specific surface areas between 2 and 146 m²/g, were obtained. The microspheres are hydrophilic in nature due to the hydroxyl groups and are easily derivatizable due to the reactive chloropropyl moiety. Ligands in the form of small molecules carrying hydrophobic alkyl or hydrophilic ion exchanger groups were covalently attached onto the microspheres via simple and one-pot reactions via their chloropropyl functionality. Using the same functionality, click chemistry and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization were also applied for the generation of triazole ring and zwitterionic molecular brushes on the microspheres, respectively. Poly(HPMA-Cl-co-EDMA) microspheres seem to be a promising hydrophilic reactive material particularly for the synthesis of ion exchanger resins and chromatographic stationary phases.     

微米级单分散共聚物微球的制备

用分散聚合法制备了苯乙烯 甲基丙烯酸甲酯微米级单分散共聚物微球 ,粒径为 5 4 μm .将分散聚合体系与乳液聚合体系进行了比较 ,并对共聚物微球的形貌、粒径分布及共聚情况进行了表征研究 .     

A green protocol to prepare monodisperse poly(TMPTMA–styrene) microspheres by photoinitiated precipitation polymerization in low-toxicity solvent

To prepare monodisperse polymer microspheres under mild conditions, a green protocol is set up by means of photoinitiated precipitation polymerization. The work is carried out with three novel parameters, including: new type crosslinker of trifunctionality, low-toxicity solvent, and ambient temperature. Firstly, trihydroxymethyl propane triacrylate (TMPTMA) is selected as the most suitable crosslinker to prepare microspheres under ambient temperature, after comparing the morphology of its polymerization products with those of other two similar crosslinkers, i.e., trimethylolpropane triacrylate and ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate. In addition, as high as possible concentrations of TMPTMA and styrene are attempted to harvest the largest amounts of microspheres; however, a threshold of monomer concentration is found at 6 %. One kind of low-toxicity solvent, i.e., ethanol, is used as the reaction media to replace the commonly used toxic organic solvents, and it is proven to be the near Θ solvent for the present polymerization. Observation from scanning electron microscopy indicates that photoinitiation is an effective way to control the growth of microspheres, and highly monodisperse microspheres of 2.67 μm are achieved at polymerization time of 120 h. Finally, the reactive vinyl groups on microsphere surface are confirmed, which indicate that the microspheres from this green protocol is in favor of further functionalization and bio-medical application.     

Removal of metal ions from aqueous solution by chelating polymeric microspheres bearing phytic acid derivatives

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to synthesize new chelating polymeric microspheres owing immobilized biocompatible agent as chelating functional groups and to evaluate their performance in metal ions removal from aqueous solution.The microparticles were synthesized via precipitation polymerization of 4-O-(4-vinylbenzyl)-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and subsequent exhaustive phosphorylation of myo-inositol groups using phosphoric acid.Spherical geometry with monodisperse nature of the polymeric microparticles was confirmed by scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and dimensional analysis. A large surface area of the microspheres provided a maximum interaction of metal ions and the chelating functional groups on the surface. Absorption capacity of the beads for the selected metal ions, i.e., Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), was investigated in detail in aqueous solution at pH 5.0 utilizing UV/Vis spectroscopy. This study showed that the macromolecular systems are very effective in chelating these metal ions and the affinity order of the microbeads toward metal ions is: Fe(III) > Ni(II) > Cu(II).The chelating beads can be easily regenerated by 1.0 M HNO₃ with high effectiveness. These features make the synthesized beads a potential candidate for metal ions removal at high capacity.     

Superhydrophobic films of electrospun fibers with multiple-scale surface morphology

Superhydrophobic nanofiber films were created from electrospun nanofibers with undulated surfaces at multiple scales in micrometers and nanometers. The electrospun nanofibers were produced out of aqueous solutions which contained water-soluble polymers and different colloids: monodisperse silica or polystyrene microspheres for larger particles and monodisperse silica nanoparticles for smaller particles. Various types of fibrous films were produced depending on the properties of the dispersing medium, the effects of additives, and the compositions of the bidisperse colloids. When polystyrene microspheres were used as sacrificial templates, macropores were left behind in the nanofibers during the removal of polystyrene microspheres by calcination. The nonwoven films of electrospun nanofibers, which were decorated with silica microspheres or macropores, could be continuously produced with considerable ease under a relatively wide range of operating conditions. The surface properties of the films were characterized by contact angle measurement and an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. Through the surface modification of the electrospun nanofibers with fluorinated silane coupling agents, superhydrophobic surfaces with low sliding angles were successfully prepared.     

The seed heterophase polymerisation as a method of forming crosslinked monodisperse microspheres

Crosslinked monodisperse microspheres of a diameter 3–10 μm were synthesized by a method of heterophase copolymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate or styrene with divinylbenzene and methacrylic acid on seed nuclei produced by dispersion polymerization of styrene. The diameter and distribution of the microspheres by size, their morphology and surface structure were analyzed by SEM. Factors that control these characteristics of the microspheres in the polymerization process were determined. Swelling ability of the microspheres in toluene and dimethylformamide was evaluated using optical microscopy.     

Preparation of micron-size monodisperse polymer microspheres having chloromethyl group

Micron-size monodisperse polymer microspheres having chloromethyl groups thereon were prepared by two-step polymerization process as follows. First, micron-size monodisperse polystyrene particles were prepared by dispersion polymerization with 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator in ethanol-water medium in the presence of poly(acrylic acid) as stabilizer under various conditions. Secondly, in the presence of the 1.9-m monodisperse polystyrene particles produced under the optimum conditions, seeded copolymerization for styrene and chloromethyl styrene was carried out. The seeded copolymerization proceeded smoothly without producing new particles, and it was confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that the chloromethyl group existed more at the surface of the produced microsphere than at that of film cast from the benzene solution in which the microspheres were dissolved.Part CVI of the series Studies on Suspension and Emulsion.     

Efficient synthesis of monodisperse,highly crosslinked,and “living” functional polymer microspheres by the ambient temperature iniferter‐induced “living” radical precipitation polymerization

The facile and efficient one‐pot synthesis of monodisperse, highly crosslinked, and “living” functional copolymer microspheres by the ambient temperature iniferter‐induced “living” radical precipitation polymerization (ILRPP) is described for the first time. The simple introduction of iniferter‐induced “living” radical polymerization (ILRP) mechanism into precipitation polymerization system, together with the use of ethanol solvent, allows the direct generation of such uniform functional copolymer microspheres. The polymerization parameters (including monomer loading, iniferter concentration, molar ratio of crosslinker to monovinyl comonomer, and polymerization time and scale) showed much influence on the morphologies of the resulting copolymer microspheres, thus permitting the convenient tailoring of the particle sizes by easily tuning the reaction conditions. In particular, monodisperse poly(4‐vinylpyridine‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) microspheres were prepared by the ambient temperature ILRPP even at a high monomer loading of 18 vol %. The general applicability of the ambient temperature ILRPP was confirmed by the preparation of uniform copolymer microspheres with incorporated glycidyl methacrylate. Moreover, the “livingness” of the resulting polymer microspheres was verified by their direct grafting of hydrophilic polymer brushes via surface‐initiated ILRP. Furthermore, a “grafting from” particle growth mechanism was proposed for ILRPP, which is considerably different from the “grafting to” particle growth mechanism in the traditional precipitation polymerization. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Silica-dendrimer core-shell microspheres with encapsulated ultrasmall palladium nanoparticles: efficient and easily recyclable heterogeneous nanocatalysts

We report the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of novel monodisperse SiO(2)@Pd-PAMAM core-shell microspheres containing SiO(2) microsphere cores and PAMAM dendrimer-encapsulated Pd nanoparticle (Pd-PAMAM) shells. First, SiO(2) microspheres, which were prepared by the St?ber method, were functionalized with vinyl groups by grafting their surfaces with vinyltriethoxysilane (VTS). The vinyl groups were then converted into epoxides by using m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. Upon treatment with amine-terminated G4 poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, the SiO(2)-supported epoxides underwent ring-opening and gave SiO(2)@PAMAM core-shell microspheres. Pd nanoparticles within the cores of the SiO(2)-supported PAMAM dendrimers were synthesized by letting Pd(II) ions complex with the amine groups in the cores of the dendrimers and then reducing them into Pd(0) with NaBH(4). This produced the SiO(2)@Pd-PAMAM core-shell microspheres. The presence of the different functional groups on the materials was monitored by following the changes in FTIR spectra, elemental analyses, and weight losses on thermogravimetric traces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed the presence of Pd nanoparticles with average size of 1.56 ± 0.67 nm on the surface of the monodisperse SiO(2)@Pd-PAMAM core-shell microspheres. The SiO(2)@Pd-PAMAM core-shell microspheres were successfully used as an easily recyclable catalyst for hydrogenation of various olefins, alkynes, keto, and nitro groups, giving ~100% conversion and high turnover numbers (TONs) under 10 bar H(2) pressure, at room temperature and in times ranging from 10 min to 3 h. In addition, the SiO(2)@Pd-PAMAM core-shell microspheres were proven to be recyclable catalysts up to five times with barely any leaching of palladium into the reaction mixture.     

单分散大粒径聚合物微球的合成及应用

单分散，大粒径聚合物微球是近２０年来开发的一类球形高分子粒子，在标准计量、情报信息、化学化工、医学免疫及生物化学等许多领域里有着广阔的应用前景，其合成和应用在高分子科学领域里已成为人们致力于研究和开发的热门课题。     

单分散交联聚苯乙烯微球HPLC固定相的合成

用分散聚合物合成了单分散聚苯乙烯微球种子，然后用种子聚合法合成了交联的聚苯乙烯向球，其粒径范围可控制在２μｍ～４μｍ，考察了反应条件对微球粒径和粒径分布的影响，确定了最佳合成条件，初步考察了交联微球的ＨＰＬＣ性能。     

沉淀聚合法Poly(DVB-co-EGDMA-co-MAA)功能聚合物微球的制备及表征

采用二乙烯基苯-55(DVB-55)和乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EGDMA)作为混合交联剂,乙腈为溶剂,偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)为引发剂,以甲基丙烯酸为功能单体采用沉淀聚合法合成了单分散或窄分散的、表面具有羧基的交联聚合物微球,所得微球的粒径变化范围为0.6～3.8μm.通过调节交联剂DVB-55和EGDMA的投料比,可以对微球的粒径、粒径分布、产率、热稳定性以及表面官能团含量进行有效控制.文中对混合交联剂DVB-55与EGDMA比例的改变对微球的粒径、粒径分布以及产率的影响机理给出了理论解释;对DVB和EGDMA的兼容性研究表明,制备的三元聚合物微球的核拥有比投料比稍多的DVB单元,而微球的外层则以在预聚混合物中占更大比例的交联剂为主.     

静电层层自组装制备聚苯乙烯微球(核)/MCM-41纳米粒子(壳)阶层结构复合微粒

采用聚苯乙烯磺酸钠(PSS)和聚二烯丙基二甲基氯化铵(PDDA)两种聚电解质, 通过静电层层自组装成功地将MCM-41介孔二氧化硅纳米粒子包覆到聚苯乙烯(PS)微球表面. 实验结果表明, 当以尺寸为1.4 μm的PS微球为核时, 包覆了两个聚电解质双层(PDDA/PSS)2的PS(PDDA/PSS)2(PDDA/MCM-41)复合结构微粒与包覆了一个聚电解质双层(PDDA/PSS)的PS(PDDA/PSS)(PDDA/MCM-41)复合结构微粒相比, 复合结构微粒之间的交联程度降低, 但是MCM-41纳米粒子在聚苯乙烯微球表面的包覆都比较松散, 且产物中存在大量杂质. 而当以尺寸为5 μm的聚苯乙烯微球为核时, MCM-41纳米粒子紧密地包覆在聚苯乙烯微球表面, 复合结构微粒之间只有少量桥连物, 且产物中杂质很少.     

Preparation of narrow or monodisperse poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) microspheres by distillation-precipitation polymerization

Highly crosslinked narrow or monodisperse poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacryltae) (polyEGDMA) microspheres were prepared by distillation-precipitation polymerization in neat acetonitrile with 2,2′-azobis(2-methyl propinitrile) (AIBN) as an initiator. The polymer microspheres with clean surfaces due to the absence of any added stabilizer in the reaction system were formed simultaneously through a precipitation manner during the distillation of acetonitrile off the reaction system. The effects of the solvent, initiator concentration, monomer concentration and comonomer (divinylbenzene, DVB) fraction on the formation of the microspheres were investigated. Narrow- or monodisperse particles with spherical shape and smooth surface were obtained with diameters between 1.18 and 2.50 μm with monomer loading lower than 3.13 vol%. The surfaces of the microspheres became rougher, some elliptic particles and doublet or triplet appeared with the increase of monomer concentration (as high as 3.75 vol%). The yield of polymer microspheres was increased from 31% to 75% with the increase of EGDMA fraction from 0 to 100% when EGDMA was copolymerized with DVB. The resulting polymer microspheres were characterized with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform-IR spectra.     

Novel Preparation of Monodisperse Poly(styrene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-divinylbenzene) Microspheres by Controlled Dispersion Polymerization

Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) particles possessing uniform properties are attractive for various chromatographic applications. However, their preparation by dispersion polymerization is rather complicated. Our aim was to prepare monodisperse PS microspheres by dispersion polymerization of styrene with controlled addition of 1 wt % of divinyl benzene. The reaction occurs in a mixture of ethanol with 2-methoxyethanol or 2-ethoxyethanol and is stabilized and initiated by hydroxypropyl cellulose and dibenzoyl peroxide, respectively. The effects of the medium polarity based on changing of the solvent mixture ratio and several modes of divinyl benzene addition, including simple one-shot and continuous divinyl benzene post-addition, on the particle size and morphology are investigated. Slow continuous dosing of 1 wt % of divinyl benzene one hour after the start of the styrene polymerization produce monodisperse spherical PS particles 5.4 μm in size. Such microspheres might be suitable as precursor for a solid adsorbent for harmful and carcinogenic organic vapors.