Synthesis of well‐defined hairy polymer microspheres by precipitation polymerization and surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

A variety of polymer microspheres were successfully synthesized by the surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) of monomers by using monodisperse polymer microsphere having benzyl halide moiety as a multifunctional polymeric initiator. First, a series of monodisperse polymer microsphere having benzyl chloride with variable monomer ratio (P(St‐DVB‐VBC)) were synthesized by the precipitation polymerization of styrene (St), divinylbenzene (DVB), and 4‐vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC). Next, hairy polymer microspheres were synthesized by the surface‐initiated ATRP of various monomers with P(St‐DVB‐VBC) microsphere as a multifunctional polymeric initiator. The hair length determined by the SEC analysis of free polymer was increased with the increase of M/I. These hairy polymer microspheres were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR, and Cl content measurements. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1296–1304     

Mechanism of dispersion polymerization of L-lactide initiated with 2,2-dibutyl-2-stanna-1,3-dioxepane

 Biodegradable polyester microspheres were synthesized directly by ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide initiated with 2,2-dibutyl-2-stanna-1,3-dioxepane. The polymerizations were carried out at 95 °C in a mixture of organic solvents (heptane/1,4–dioxane 4:1 v:v), in the presence of poly(dodecyl acrylate)-g-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) used as a surface-active agent. Under these conditions the poly(L-lactide) synthesized was shaped into microspheres. The absence of new particles in the polymerizations with multistep monomer addition indicated that after the formation of particle seeds the propagation proceeds exclusively inside the microspheres. The mean volume of these microspheres was proportional to the monomer conversion. It was found that regardless of the initiator concentration the average number of poly(L-lactide) macromolecules in one microsphere was 1.84 × 10⁸. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight spectroscopy of poly(L-lactide) in the microspheres indicated that the propagation in the particles was accompanied by intra- and intermolecular transesterification side reactions, resulting in reshuffling of the polymer segments and the formation of cyclic oligomers. Received: 20 December 2000 Accepted: 7 June 2001     

Unusual behavior in light scattering experiments of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinylimidazole) prepared by precipitation polymerization

Poly(N-vinylimidazole) (PVI) was synthesized by the precipitation polymerization using 2,2’-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN; initiator) and benzene (solvent) at two different monomer/initiator ratios. The solution polymerization was also performed with the following initiator/solvent systems: AIBN/water–methanol mixture (1:1 by volume) and 4,4’-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid)/aqueous HCl solution (pH 0.8). All the four preparations of PVI in ethanol and in 0.2 M NaCl (pH 3 with HCl) were examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The CONTIN analysis of DLS data for each preparation from the solution polymerization showed a unimodal distribution in both ethanol and aqueous solvents. A good agreement was obtained between the molar masses in these different solvents by static light scattering (SLS). However, the polymers from the precipitation polymerization exhibited a heterogeneous bimodal distribution in DLS under the same conditions as above, indicating that the SLS data as in reference [6] (Savin et al. Macromolecules 37:6565) cause a serious error in the understanding of solution behavior of PVI.     

Hydrophilic magnetic polymer latexes. 2. Encapsulation of adsorbed iron oxide nanoparticles

The encapsulation of seed polymer particles coated by anionic iron oxide nanoparticles has been investigated using N-isopropylacrylamide as a main monomer, N,N-methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent, itaconic acid as a functional monomer and potassium persulfate as an anionic initiator. The magnetic latexes obtained have been characterized with regard to particle size, iron oxide content and electrophoretic mobility. All these properties have been examined by varying several polymerization parameters: reaction medium, monomer(s) and crosslinking agent concentrations, nature of seed latexes and type of polymerization (batch versus shot process). The magnetic content in the polymer microspheres strongly depends on the polymerization procedure (i.e., encapsulation process) and varies between 6 and 23 wt%, and monodisperse magnetic polymer particles were obtained. Received: 28 December 1999 Accepted in revised form: 15 June 1999     

Mechanism of particle formation and kinetics of the dispersion polymerization of cyclic esters

Pseudoanionic and anionic polymerizations of ε-caprolactone and lactides in 1,4-dioxane:heptane mixtures containing poly(dodecyl acrylate)-g-poly(ε-caprolactone) yield polyesters in form of microspheres. Monitoring partition of active centers between solution and microspheres revealed that particles are formed during initial period, when macromolecules reach their critical masses (ca. 1 000) and became insoluble. Then, propagation proceeds inside of microspheres into which monomer diffuses from solution. Monitoring of variation of the number of particles in a unit volume of reaction mixture with time indicated that after a primary nucleation the delayed nucleation and aggregation are absent. In effect, microspheres with narrow diameter distribution are obtained. Kinetic measurements revealed that in the dispersion pseudoanionic (initiator (CH₃CH₂)₂AlOCH₂CH₃) and anionic (initiator (CH₃)₃SiONa) polymerizations of ε-caprolactone the overall rates of monomer conversion are from 10 to 30 times higher than for the corresponding polymerizations in solution (THF solvent). Analysis of kinetic equations indicated that the observed faster monomer conversions in polymerizations in dispersed systems are due to the high local concentrations of active centers and monomer in growing microspheres.     

Synthesis of monodispersed poly(acrylonitrile) microspheres by dispersion polymerization in compressed liquid dimethyl ether

In this study, monodispersed spherical particles of poly(acrylonitrile) were synthesized via dispersion polymerization in compressed liquid dimethyl ether using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator and five kinds of surfactants: PDMS-g-pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid (Monasil PCA™), PDMS modified surfactants, SS-5050K™, KF-6017™, poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10- heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate), and poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate). Using Monasil PCA as a surfactant, uniform and spherical polymer particles were generated. The size of the microsphere particles was reduced via an increase in the concentration of Monasil PCA and a reduction in the monomer concentration. Increases in the concentration of AIBN resulted in a broad distribution of microspheres. Reaction temperature and pressure did not exert significant effects on the size and size distribution of the polymer particles.     

超声悬浮共聚法制备聚合物微球及其形态

采用超声粉碎和悬浮聚合法,以甲基丙烯酸甲酯、苯乙烯为主单体,过氧化苯甲酰为引发剂,颜料黄74为着色剂,合成了彩色聚合物微球。光学显微镜以及扫描电镜的观察和分析表明：利用超声粉碎法可使聚合物微球的粒径从几百微米降低到几微米;热熔融后,聚合物微球内包覆了细小的颜料颗粒。     

Poly(styrene-acrylic acid) magnetic polymer microspheres

Magnetic polymer microspheres have been considered as a kind of new biopolymer materials with great advantages in bioseparation engineering and biomedicine engineering because they have not only polymer functional groups but also magnetic characteristics. Styrene-acrylic acid copolymer (p(S-AA)) magnetic microspheres were synthesized by dispersion polymerization with Fe₃O₄ as core and p(S-AA) as shell. The microspheres were characterized by SEM, size analysis, molecular weight and solid content measurement. All of them indicate that the microspheres are small in size, narrow in distribution, stable in chemistry and rich in functional groups on their surface. __________ Translated from Journal of Beijing Union University (Natural Science) 2008, 21(3): 82–84     

Preparation of monodisperse polystyrene microspheres: effect of reaction parameters on particle formation,and optical performances of its diffusive agent application

There are three monodisperse polystyrene (PSt) microspheres, 1.10, 3.13, and 5.21 um in diameter were prepared by dispersion polymerization in ethanol/iso-propanol media. 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were utilized as initiator and steric stabilizer, respectively. The effects of the PAA stabilizer, AIBN initiator, St monomer, and EtOH solvent on particle size and size distribution were reviewed in this article. Besides, optical properties including total transmittance (T%) and transmittance haze (H%) were performed when these three monodisperse PSt microspheres were applied as diffusive agents. The results were examined in terms of total interface area in a system, and came up an optimal situation between transmittance haze (H _max% = 65%) and T% when total surface area of particles is around 45,000 cm².     

Synthesis of porous titaniaspheres for HPLC by polymerization-induced colloid aggregation (PICA) using <Emphasis Type="Italic">tert-n</Emphasis>-butyl titanate

Porous titanic microspheres with a very narrow particle size distribution (PSD) which are useful as chromatographic packing materials for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were synthesized by an improved process of polymerization-induced colloid aggregation method using tert-n -butyl titanate. Porous titania particles obtained after polymer combustion and sintering of the aggregates are 3.5 μm in diameter with a surface area of 9.6 m² g⁻¹ and an average pore diameter of 18.9 nm. The particles are strong enough to withstand the high packing pressure for a HPLC column. The article is published in the original.     

Behavior of γ-ray-irradiated pullulan in aqueous solutions of cationic (cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide) and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate) surfactants

 γ-ray-irradiated pullulan macromolecules acquire properties of an anionic polyelectrolyte and, upon aggregation with the oppositely charged surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, are found to precipitate according to their molecular weight. This provides a convenient means for obtaining polymer fractions with a narrower molecular-weight distribution than those of the original samples. The method can be employed to obtain fractions of radiation-modified pullulan required in the production of a blood-plasma substitute. Anionic properties of γ-ray-irradiated pullulan also manifest themselves in interactions with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution, which result in a significant change in the viscous behavior of the polysaccharide. Upon an increase in the concentration of γ-ray-irradiated pullulan in an SDS solution, the reduced viscosity of the polymer first increases and, upon reaching a certain concentration, C*, decreases. The C* values were found to be dependent on the molecular weight of the polymer. The phenomena observed are discussed in terms of the general theory of polymer solutions within which C* is treated as a critical concentration at which interpenetration of polymer molecules becomes important. Unperturbed dimensions of γ-ray-irradiated pullulan macromolecules were estimated on the basis of experimental viscosimetric data. Received: 29 March 2001 Accepted: 31 July 2001     

Preparation of monodisperse PMMA microspheres using 2-vinyl-4,4′-dimethylazlactone as a particle Stabilizer

Polymeric microspheres of methyl methacrylate (PMMA) have been prepared via emulsion polymerization using potassium persulfate as initiator. The polymeric spheres were also prepared with varied concentration of an additional component, 2-vinyl-4,4′-dimethylazlactone (VDMA), which greatly affected the properties of the spheres. NMR analysis indicates the presence of VDMA in the polymer particles, and FT-IR analysis shows hydrolysis of VDMA in the polymer which produced N-acryloylmethylalanine, (NAMA). The VDMA hydrolysis thus led to carboxyl functionality which served to stabilize the microspheres during the emulsion polymerization showing a significant effect on particle size, distribution, and morphology, but little effect on molecular weight or thermal properties of the polymer. Also the effect of varying the concentration of initiator (potassium persulfate, KPS) was investigated, and had little effect on particle size or distribution or molecular weight of the polymer particles.     

New Transformation of 1,3‐Oxathiolane‐2‐thione into 1,3‐Dithiolan‐2‐one via Polymerization and Depolymerization

This article deals with the cationic and anionic depolymerization of polydithiocarbonate, which was synthesized by cationic polymerization of 5‐phenoxymethyl‐1,3‐oxathiolane‐2‐thione ( 1 ) using methyl triflate as the initiator. The cationic depolymerization of the obtained polymer was carried out in the presence of 5–20 mol‐% of methyl triflate or triflic acid catalyst in chlorobenzene at 60 °C for 96 h to afford 4‐phenoxymethyl‐1,3‐dithiolan‐2‐one ( 2 ) in 35–83% yield. The anionic depolymerization of the polymer was carried out in the presence of 5 mol‐% of triethylamine or potassium tert‐butoxide at 20 °C for 24 h to afford 2 in 85–100% yield.     

Preparation of pH-sensitive hydrogel microspheres of poly(acrylamide-<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">co</Emphasis>-methacrylic acid) with sharp pH–volume transition

Monodisperse hydrogel microsphere of polyacrylamide (AAm)-methacrylic acid (MAc) cross-linked by N,N′-methylene-bis(acrylamide) (MB) with sharp pH–volume transition was prepared in ethanol. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) was employed to evaluate the pH sensitivity of these microspheres. The effects of main factors: composition of copolymer, cross-linked degree, and initial total concentration or solid content of comonomers were investigated. Osmotic pressure and deformation of cross-linked polymer network were considered as the two dominant factors influencing the characteristics of pH–volume transition. High content of MAc and cross-linked degree increased the osmotic pressure, thereby moving the onset of pH–volume transition to higher pH. Association/dissociation of poly-MAc segments in the domains contributed to the free energy of hydrogel–solvent mixing. As soon as pH was high enough to overcome the osmotic pressure, the dissociated poly-MAc segments simultaneously decreased the osmotic pressure and free energy of hydrogel–solvent mixing, thereby allowing the sharp and large volume transition. As a result, microspheres were prepared with pH–volume transition of almost 12 times to their original volume within a narrow range of pH variation, ca. 0.5. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

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.     

Synthesis,hydrodynamic, and conformational properties of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acryloyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid) in solutions

Poly(N-acryloyl-11-aminoundecanoic acid) samples are synthesized in monomer solutions occurring in both micellar and nonmicellar states. It is shown that polymeric ionogenic surfactants of various molecular masses can be prepared through variation in the concentration of a polymerizable surfactant or in the ionic strength of a solution. The polymer of interest is investigated in detail via the methods of molecular hydrodynamics (viscometry, isothermal diffusion, and velocity sedimentation), dynamic light scattering, GPC, and scanning probe microscopy. The solubility of the polymer in various solvents is examined in detail, and the tendency of this polymer toward association in DMF solutions is discovered. The equilibrium rigidity of macromolecules, which is characterized by the Kuhn segment length A = 100 × 10⁻⁸ cm, and the effective hydrodynamic radius are determined in a dioxane-cyclohexanol mixed solvent.     

Switchable Bifunctional Stimuli‐Triggered Poly‐N‐Isopropylacrylamide/DNA Hydrogels

DNA‐tethered poly‐N‐isopropylacrylamide copolymer chains, pNIPAM, that include nucleic acid tethers have been synthesized. They are capable of inducing pH‐stimulated crosslinking of the chains by i‐motif structures or to be bridged by Ag⁺ ions to form duplexes. The solutions of pNIPAM chains undergo crosslinking at pH 5.2 or in the presence of Ag⁺ ions to form hydrogels. The hydrogels reveal switchable hydrogel‐to‐solution transitions by the reversible crosslinking of the chains at pH 5.2 and the separation of the crosslinking units at pH 7.5, or by the Ag⁺ ion‐stimulated crosslinking of the chains and the reverse dissolution of the hydrogel by the cysteamine‐induced elimination of the Ag⁺ ions. The DNA‐crosslinked hydrogels are thermosensitive and undergo reversible temperature‐controlled hydrogel‐to‐solid transitions. The solid pNIPAM matrices are protected against the OH^? or cysteamine‐stimulated dissociation to the respective polymer solutions.     

Synthesis,thermo-responsive micellization and caffeine drug release of novel PBMA-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-PNIPAAm block polymer brushes

Brush-like block copolymers with poly(t-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) as side arms, PBMA-b-PNIPAAm, were designed and synthesized via a simple free radical polymerization route. The chemical structure and molecular weight of these polymer brushes were characterized and determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The micellar formation by these polymer brushes in aqueous solutions were detected by a surface tension technique, and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) ranged from 1.53 to 8.06 mg L⁻¹. The morphology and geometry of polymer micelles were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The polymer micelles assume the regularly-spherical core-shell structure with well-dispersed individual nanoparticles, and the particle size was in the range from 36 to 93 nm. The PNIPAAm segments exhibited a thermoreversible phase transition, so the resulting block polymer brushes were temperature-sensitive and the low critical solution temperature (LCST) was determined by UV-vis spectrometer at about 28.82–29.40°C. The characteristic parameters of the polymer micelles such as CMC, micellar size and LCST values were affected by their compositional ratios and the length of hydrophilic or hydrophobic chains. The evaluation for caffeine drug release behavior of the block polymer micelles demonstrated that the self-assembled micelles exhibited thermal-triggered properties in controlled drug release.     

Reentrant behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol)–borax semidilute aqueous solutions

 The reentrant behavior of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–borax aqueous semidilute solutions with a PVA concentration of 20 g/l and borax concentrations varies from 0.0 to 0.20 M was investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and dynamic viscoelastic measurements. Two (fast and slow modes) and three (fast, middle, and slow) relaxation modes of PVA semidilute aqueous solutions without and with the presence of borax, respectively, were observed from DLS measurements. The fast and middle relaxation modes were q ²-dependent (q is the scattering vector) characteristic of diffusive behavior; however, the slow modes were q ³-dependent, characteristic of intraparticle dynamics. The experimental results showed that the slow relaxation mode dominates the DLS relaxation. The DLS slow mode relaxation time, τ_s, and the viscoelastic modulus G′(ω) and G′′(ω) data had a similar trend and demonstrated reentrant behavior as the borax concentration was increased from 0.0 to 0.20 M, i.e. τ_s, G′(ω), and G′′(ω) fluctuated with increasing borax concentration. The excluded-volume effect of polymers, charge repulsion among borate ions bound on PVA molecules, and intermolecular cross-linking didiol–borate complexation caused an expansion of the polymer chain; however, the screening effect of free Na⁺ ions on the negative charge of the borate ions bound on PVA and intramolecular cross-linking didiol–borate complexation led to a shrinkage of the polymer chain. The reentrant behavior was the consequence of the balance between expansion and shrinkage of the PVA–borate complex. Received: 26 March 1999/Accepted in revised form: 3 September 1999     

Preparation and surface modification of magnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres

~~Preparation and surface modification of magnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres~~