Synthesis of iron oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) composite latex particles: Nucleation mechanism and morphology

A magnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composite latex was prepared by soapless emulsion polymerization in the presence of ferrofluid, and the ferrofluid was prepared by means of a coprecipitation method. The effects of various polymerization parameters, such as the monomer concentration, ferrofluid content, and initiator concentration, on the conversion curve and particle size of the magnetic composite latex particles were examined in detail. The results showed that two nucleation mechanisms were involved according to the polymerization conditions. In the monomer‐rich and less ferrofluid system, self‐nucleation of PMMA was dominant over the entire course of emulsion polymerization. In the ferrofluid‐rich system, seeded emulsion polymerization was the main course to form the magnetic composite latex particles. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5695–5705, 2004     

超临界二氧化碳中无水相涂料的合成与表征

为了减小传统纸张涂布中涂料水分对涂布能耗、涂布质量以及对涂布原纸质量的影响,研究了以超临界二氧化碳为反应介质,制备聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)和碳酸钙颜料混合的粉末涂料粒子.通过FTIR、GPC-十八角度激光光散射联用技术对PMMA组成结构进行了表征,考察了反应体系中引发剂浓度、单体浓度、稳定剂浓度、反应温度和反应时间对聚合反应的转化率和聚合产物的分子量的影响.实验表明,当反应条件为反应压力10MPa,反应温度75℃,反应时间8h,单体浓度0.10g/mL,引发剂浓度0.10×10-2g/mL,稳定剂浓度0.06×10-2g/mL时,其聚合反应的转化率较高,同时PMMA的分子量适中,分子量分布窄.SEM观察到混合涂料粒子颗粒均匀,表明颜料在粉末涂料体系中分散性良好.     

Surface grafting onto SiC nanoparticles with glycidyl methacrylate in emulsion

To improve the tribological performance of nano‐SiC particles filled epoxy composites, surface modification of the fillers is necessary. By means of soapless emulsion polymerization method, graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto the surface of alkyl nano‐SiC was carried out, resulting in composite particles with SiC core and polymeric shell in which polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA) is chemically attached to the nanoparticles by the double bonds introduced during the pretreatment with a coupling agent. By analyzing the reaction mechanism, the emulsion polymerization loci were found to be situated at the SiC surface. Also, the factors affecting the grafting yielding of PGMA on the particles were investigated, including monomer concentration, initiator consumption, reaction temperature, reaction time, etc. Accordingly, an optimum grafting reaction condition was determined. It was shown that the grafted nanoparticles exhibit greatly improved dispersibility in good solvent for the grafting polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3842–3852, 2004     

Characterization of thin polymer‐like films formed by plasma polymerization of methylmethacrylate: A neutron reflectivity study

The microstructure of the plasma‐polymerized methylmethacrylate (ppMMA) films is characterized using neutron reflectivity (NR) as a function of the plasma reaction time or film thickness. Variation in the crosslink density normal to the substrate surface is examined by swelling the film with a solvent, d‐nitrobenzene (dNB). In the presence of dNB, uniform swelling is observed throughout the bulk as well as at the air surface, and silicon oxide interfaces. The results indicate that the MMA film prepared by plasma polymerization (ppMMA) has a uniform crosslink density from air surface to substrate surface. Additionally, the scattering length density of the plasma‐polymerized MMA film (SLD ≈ 0.750 × 10⁻⁶ Å⁻²) is much lower than that of a conventional PMMA film (SLD = 1.177 × 10⁻⁶ Å⁻²). The increase in film thickness following dNB sorption is 7.5% and at least 36% for the ppMMA and PMMA films, respectively. This suggests that the films formed by plasma polymerization are different from conventional polymers in chemical structure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2522–2530, 2004     

Fully crosslinked poly(styrene‐co‐divinylbenzene) microspheres by precipitation polymerization and their superior thermal properties

Fully crosslinked, stable poly(styrene‐co‐divinylbenzene) microspheres, which are composed of various concentrations of divilylbenzene from 5 to 75 mol % based on styrene monomer, were prepared without a significant particle coagulation by the precipitation polymerization. The number‐average particle diameter ranged from 3.5 to 2.8 μm and decreased with an increasing concentration of divinylbenzene in monomer. In addition, the coefficient of variation of the microspheres was slightly reduced with the increasing concentration of divinylbenzene. The circularity and the measured specific surface area indicated that lesser particles are coagulated because of the improved stability of individual particles at a high divinylbenzene concentration and that the resulting particles have a smooth surface without micropores. The glass‐transition temperature was not observed for all microspheres formed from the range of divinylbenzene concentrations. In addition, the onset of the thermal‐degradation temperature was increased from 339.8 to 376.9 °C upon higher contents of divinylbenzene. On the basis of the DSC and thermogravimetric data, the polymer microspheres prepared by the precipitation polymerization possessed a fully crosslinked structure and highly enhanced thermal stability. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 835–845, 2004     

Preparation of magnetic polystyrene latex via the miniemulsion polymerization technique

Magnetic iron oxide (magnetite, Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were encapsulated with polystyrene to give a stable water‐based magnetic polymer latex, using the miniemulsion polymerization technique. The resulting magnetic latexes were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), vibrating sample magnetometer measurements (VSM), and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements. TEM revealed that all magnetite nanoparticles were embedded in the polymer spheres, leaving no empty polystyrene particles. The distribution of magnetite particles within the polystyrene spheres was inhomogeneous, showing an uneven polar appearance. The DLS measurements indicated a bimodal size distribution for the particles in the latexes. According to our magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy data, the encapsulated magnetite particles conserve their superparamagnetic feature when they are separated in the polymer matrix. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4802–4808, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(methylmethacrylate)/silica nanocomposites: Study of the interphase by solid‐state NMR and structure/properties relationships

Organic/inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized from poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and properly modified silica nanoparticles by in situ polymerization. Methacryloylpropyltrimethoxysilane was selected as nanoparticle surface modifier because it is characterized by unsaturated end groups available to radical reactions, making possible to suppose their participation in the acrylic monomer polymerization. As a result of the above hypothesized reactions, a phase constituted by polyacrylic chains grafted onto modified silica surface was isolated. ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments permitted to analyze this phase in terms of composition and chain mobility as well as to highlight interaction mechanisms occurring between growing PMMA oligoradicals and functional groups onto silica surface. It was demonstrated that this PMMA grafted onto silica surface acts as an effective coupling agent and assures a good dispersion of nanoparticles as well as a strong nanoparticle/matrix interfacial adhesion. As a result of strong interactions occurring between phases, a significant increase of the glass transition temperature was recorded. Finally, the abrasion resistance of PMMA in the hybrids was significantly improved as a result of a different abrasion propagation mechanism induced by silica particles thus overcoming one of the most serious PMMA drawback. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Mechanism of the formation of stable microspheres by precipitation copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene

Fully crosslinked, stable poly(styrene‐co‐divinylbenzene) microspheres were prepared by precipitation polymerization, and a new mechanism is proposed, based on the morphology, circularity, and specific surface area. Once the stable particles were generated by aggregation of the primary nucleus particles, they grew in size by absorbing oligomeric species without generating substantial pores. The investigation was carried out characterizing the particles in the polymerization time and in various concentrations of the polymerization ingredients. Particle size continuously grew, but the uniformity and circularity of the microspheres were reduced with polymerization time because of the higher reactivity of divinylbenzene. The measured specific surface areas of the microspheres all were less than 10 m²/g, which showed good agreement with calculated values under an assumption of no pores on the surface of the microspheres. Thus, the specific surface area of the microspheres supported the proposed mechanism. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3967–3974, 2004     

Polyurethane/polyaniline and polyurethane‐poly(methyl methacrylate)/polyaniline conductive core‐shell particles: Preparation,morphology, and conductivity

Polyurethane/polyaniline (PU/PANI) and polyurethane‐poly(methyl methacrylate)/polyaniline (PU‐PMMA/PANI) conductive core‐shell particles were synthesized by a two‐stage polymerization process. The first stage was to produce a core of PU or PU‐PMMA via miniemulsion polymerization using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the surfactant. The second stage was to synthesize the shell of polyaniline over the surface of core particles. Hydrogen chloride (HCl) and dodecyl benzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) were used as the dopant agents. Ammonium persulfate (APS) was used as the oxidant for the polymerization of ANI. Different concentrations of HCl, DBSA, and SDS would cause different conformations of PANI chains and thus different morphologies of PANI particles. UV–visible spectra revealed that the polaron band was blue‐shifted because of the more coiled conformation of PANI chains by increasing the concentration of DBSA. Besides, with a high concentration of DBSA, both spherical‐ and rod‐shape PANI particles were observed by transmission electron microscope, and the coverage of PANI particles onto the core surfaces was improved. The key point of formation of rod‐type PANI particles was that DBSA was served with a high concentration accompanied with the existence of HCl or SDS. The better coverage of PANI particles over the core surfaces by charging higher DBSA concentrations resulted in a higher conductivity of hybrid particles. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3902–3911, 2007     

Structures and thermal properties of chitosan-modified poly(methyl methacrylate)

The emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of chitosan with potassium persulfate (KPS) as an initiator was examined in a previous article. The free radicals that dissociated from KPS not only initiated the polymerization but also degraded the chitosan molecules. Therefore, in addition to its role as a cationic surfactant, chitosan also participated in the polymerization reaction. When the polymerization was complete, the latex polymer consisted of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) homopolymer and chitosan–PMMA copolymer. In this article, the structures and thermal properties of latex polymers are examined. Gel permeation chromatography was used to measure the molecular weight of the PMMA homopolymer, with the copolymer composition determined by an elemental analyzer. Scanning and transmission electronic microscopes were used to measure the size of latex particles from different reaction systems. The surface charges of latex particles at several different pH values were determined by the measurement of the ζ potential. All results agreed with the reaction mechanism proposed in the previous article. Finally, the presence of rigid chitosan increased the glass-transition temperature of the final latex polymers. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the degradation behavior of latex polymers was similar to the unzipping mechanism of PMMA, yet the presence of chitosan units hindered the unzipping of the main chains in chitosan–PMMA copolymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1646–1655, 2001     

Poly(methyl methacrylate) composites prepared by in situ polymerization using organophillic nano-to-submicrometer zinc oxide particles

Nano- and submicrometer zinc(II) oxide particles were synthesized by the polyol method and were used for the preparation of ZnO/poly(methyl methacrylate) (ZnO/PMMA) composite materials by the chain polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in bulk. ZnO particles with an organophilic surface layer were homogeneously dispersed in the PMMA matrix. Very low concentrations (0.1 wt.%) of nano zinc oxide absorbed over 98% of UV light as determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. Nano zinc oxide (75 nm) increased the initial decomposition temperature of the PMMA matrix by 30-40 °C at concentrations of 0.1% and above. This was explained by the changes in the termination mechanism of MMA polymerization resulting in a reduced concentration of vinylidene chain ends. Nano ZnO also increased the MMA polymerization reaction rate and reduced the activation energy. Submicrometer ZnO showed lower UV absorption, thermal stabilization and no influence on the reaction kinetics indicating that average particle size is of vital importance for the properties of PMMA nanocomposites and for MMA polymerization.     

Preparation and properties investigation of PMMA/silica composites derived from silicic acid

Hybrid materials based on silicic acid and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were prepared by in situ bulk polymerization of a silicic acid sol and MMA mixture. Silicic acid sol was obtained by tetrahydrofuran (THF) extraction of silicic acid from water. Silicic acid was prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of sodium silicate in the presence of 3.6 M HCl. As a comparative study, PMMA composites filled by silica particles, which were derived from calcining the silicic acid gel, were prepared by a comparable in situ polymerization. Each set of PMMA/silica composites was subjected to thermal and mechanical studies. Residual THF in PMMA/silicic acid composites impacted the properties of the polymer composites. With increase in silica content, the PMMA composites filled with silica particles showed improved thermal and mechanical properties, whereas a decrease in thermal stability and mechanical strength was found for PMMA composites filled with silicic acid dissolved in THF. With a better compatibility with polymer matrix, silicic acid sol shows better reinforcement than silica particles in PMMA films prepared via blending of the corresponding THF solutions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of surfactants on the morphology of composite polymer particles produced by two‐stage seeded emulsion polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)–polystyrene (PS) composite polymer particles were synthesized in the presence of a surfactant by two‐stage seeded emulsion polymerization. The first stage was the synthesis of PMMA particles by soapless emulsion polymerization; the second stage was the synthesis of the PMMA–PS composite polymer particles with the PMMA particles as seeds. In the second stage of the reaction, three kinds of surfactants—sodium laurate sulfate (SLS), polyoxyethylene (POE) sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20), and sorbitan monolaurate (Span 20)—were used to synthesize the PMMA–PS composite particles. Both the properties and concentrations of the surfactants influenced the morphology of the composite particles significantly. Core–shell composite particles, with PS as the shell and PMMA as the core, were synthesized in the presence of a low concentration of the hydrophilic surfactant SLS. This result was the same as that in the absence of the surfactant. However, a low concentration of Tween 20 led to composite particles with a core/strawberry‐like shell morphology; the core region was a PS phase, and the strawberry‐like shell was a PS phase dispersed in a PMMA phase. With an increase in the concentration of SLS, the morphology of the composite particles changed from core (PMMA)–shell (PS) to core (PS)–shell (PMMA). Moreover, the effects of a high concentration of Tween 20 or Span 20 on the morphology of the PMMA–PS composite particles were investigated in this study. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2224–2236, 2005     

Microencapsulation of cholesteryl alkanoate by polymerization‐induced phase separation and its association with drugs

A new microencapsulation technique is presented in which cholesteryl nonanoate (CN)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microcapsules are produced by the induction of phase separation between CN and PMMA within the droplets during the polymerization. The concentration of CN is the most important factor determining the final morphology of the microcapsules. For example, a polynuclear type is obtained at a low concentration (<20 wt %), a mononuclear type is obtained at a medium concentration (20–30 wt %), and an irregular phase is obtained at a high concentration (>40 wt %). To evaluate the effectiveness of the technique for stabilizing an unstable drug, we selected retinol (vitamin A) as a model drug and loaded it into the CN/PMMA microcapsules. We used a process called solute codiffusion, in which a fine solvent emulsion containing the retinol was diffused uniformly into the CN/PMMA microcapsules. The loading efficiency of retinol was predicted successfully with the aid of a thermodynamic equation. In the thermal stability test of retinol, we found that an effective association with the CN phase was the most important factor determining the limit of its molecular stability. The technique reported in this article has great potential for the microencapsulation of soft materials via a simple process and for the stabilization of unstable drugs. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2202–2213, 2004     

Preparation and applications of novel fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomers/calcium carbonate nanocomposites

Calcium chloride reacted with sodium carbonate in the presence of a variety of self-assembled molecular aggregates formed by fluoroalkyl end-capped acrylic acid, 2-methacryloyloxyethane sulfonic acid, dimethylacrylamide, and acryloylmorpholine oligomers in aqueous solutions to afford the corresponding fluorinated oligomers/calcium carbonate composites in excellent to moderate isolated yields. These fluorinated calcium carbonate composites thus obtained were shown to have a good dispersibility not only in water but also in traditional organic media including fluorinated solvents. Dynamic light scattering measurements (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that these fluorinated composites are nanometer-size-controlled particles and well dispersed in these media. Cross-linked fluoroalkyl end-capped acrylic acid co-oligomer containing poly(oxyethylene) units was also applied to the preparation of new cross-linked fluorinated calcium carbonate nanocomposites under similar conditions. The obtained cross-linked fluorinated calcium carbonate nanocomposites were found to have an extremely higher dispersibility in aqueous and organic media including fluorinated solvents, compared to that of the corresponding fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomer nanocomposites. In particular, it was verified that these fluorinated calcium carbonate nanocomposites are applicable to the dispersion above poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film surface. Interestingly, field-emission SEM (FE-SEM) images of the cross-section of the modified PMMA films showed that calcium carbonate particles dispersed into these PMMA films could be arranged regularly above the modified film surface. More interestingly, cross-linked fluorinated oligomeric aggregates were able to provide suitable host moieties for the crystallization of calcium carbonate.     

Preparation of SiO2/PMMA composite particles via conventional emulsion polymerization

A series of SiO₂/PMMA composite particles with different morphologies were prepared by conventional emulsion polymerization by the aid of acid–base interaction between the silanol groups of unmodified silica particles and the amino groups of 4‐vinylpyridine. In this approach, no surface treatment for nanosilica particles was required. The morphologies of composite particles, for example, multicore–shell, raspberry‐like, and conventional core–shell, could be controlled by modulating emulsifier content, monomer/silica ratio, silica size, and monomer feed method. The possible particle formation mechanisms were discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3807–3816, 2006     

Fabrication and properties of poly(propylene carbonate)/calcium carbonate composites

Composites of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) reinforced with micrometric and nanometric calcium carbonate particles were prepared via melt mixing followed by compression molding. The morphology and mechanical and thermal behaviors of the composites were investigated. Static tensile tests showed that the tensile strength, stiffness, and ductility of the composites tended to increase with increasing contents of micrometric calcium carbonate particles. This improvement in the tensile properties was attributed to good interfacial adhesion between the fillers and matrix, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy examination. However, because of the agglomeration of calcium carbonate nanoparticles during blending, those composites with nanoparticles exhibited the lowest tensile strength. Thermogravimetric measurements revealed that the incorporation of calcium carbonate into PPC resulted in a slight improvement in its thermooxidative stability. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1806–1813, 2003     

Elucidation of the mechanism of surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from a diazonium‐based initiator layer

This study elucidates the influence of the atom transfer radical polymerization initiator structure, monolayer versus disordered multilayer, on the growth kinetics and the structural transition of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brush layers. The multilayer initiator film, prepared by acylation of the electrografted 2‐phenylethanol layer using 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide, consists of ～4.6 times more tert‐butyl bromide groups compared to monolayer initiator prepared by self assembly technique. The results demonstrate the formation of precursor complex between Cu^I catalyst and the bromine initiator as a prerequisite step before the onset of polymerization. Furthermore, the PMMA brushes formed by the polymerization from the multilayered initiator layer at 50 °C are 20‐fold thicker compared to the polymerization at 25 °C due to the swelling of the multilayered initiator film. In contrast, the thickness of the PMMA layer on the monolayer initiator is less affected by the polymerization temperature. By varying the initiator density on the surface, the solvent content in the PMMA layer is shown to vary from 15% to 94%, resulting in the transition from concentrated over semidiluted to diluted brushes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Patterned immobilization of biomolecules by using ion irradiation‐induced graft polymerization

A new method for biomolecular patterning based on ion irradiation‐induced graft polymerization was demonstrated in this study. Ion irradiation on a polymer surface resulted in the formation of active species, which was further used for surface‐initiated graft polymerization of acrylic acid. The results of the grafting study revealed that the surface graft polymerization using 20 vol % of acrylic acid on the poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film irradiated at the fluence of 1 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm² for 12 h was the optimum graft polymerization condition to achieve the maximum grafting degree. The results of the fluorescence microscopy also revealed that the optimum fluence to achieve the maximum fluorescence intensity was 1 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm². The grafting of acrylic acid on the PTFE surfaces was confirmed by a fluorescence labeling method. The grafted PTFE films were used for the immobilization of amine‐functionalized p‐DNA, followed by hybridization with fluorescently tagged c‐DNA. Biotin‐amine was also immobilized on the acrylic acid grafted PTFE surfaces. Successful biotin‐specific binding of streptavidin further confirmed the potential of this strategy for patterning of various biomolecules. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6124–6134, 2009     

Design and synthesis of optically transparent calcium‐incorporated polymer complexes

Transparent thin films of calcium‐ion‐incorporated polymer composites were synthesized with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and polymers such as poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and methylcellulose. The homogeneous distribution of Ca²⁺ in the composite films was observed because of the high concentration of COO^? groups along the PAA backbone for the complexation of Ca²⁺ ions. The optical transparency of the composites depends on the weight percentages of the three polymers and the molar concentration of CaCO₃ in the composites. Maximum transparency was obtained for a composite film with a PAA/CaCO₃ ratio of 9:1. The results indicated that methylcellulose improved the film‐forming capabilities and that PEG improved the transparency of the composites. All polymer complexes were characterized with X‐ray diffraction, fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and optical transparency measurements. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4459–4465, 2004