Effect of Hydrophilic Shells on the Formation of Colloidal Crystals by Monodisperse Core‐Shell Polymer Microspheres

We have found that a soft, hydrophilic shell is necessary in the formation of three‐dimensional colloidal crystals by polymeric microspheres prepared by surfactant‐free emulsion copolymerization. The core‐shell microspheres contain a hard, hydrophobic polystyrene core and a soft, hydrophilic shell made of polyacrylamide or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Dilution of the particles induced a red shift of the diffraction peak. We have found a pH switching effect for the formation of colloidal crystals by the microspheres with a PAA shell. When the carboxylic‐acid groups are protonated, the colloidal crystals lose their order. The same effect is observed when a poor solvent is added to the colloidal crystals formed by the microspheres with a polyacrylamide shell.

     

Poly(thieno[3,4‐b]‐1,4‐oxathiane) and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene‐co‐thieno[3,4‐b]‐1,4‐oxathiane)/poly(styrene sulfonic sodium): Preparation,characterization, and optoelectronic performance

In this work, the asymmetrical analog of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), thieno[3,4‐b]‐1,4‐oxathiane (EOTT), was synthesized and chemically polymerized first in aqueous solution using poly(styrene sulfonic sodium) (PSS) as the polyelectrolyte to yield poly(thieno[3,4‐b]‐1,4‐oxathiane) (PEOTT)/PSS. As‐formed film exhibited low electrical conductivity (～10^?4 S/cm). Alternatively, EOTT together with EDOT (in different molar ratio of 1:1 and 1:5) was copolymerized and the polymer poly(EOTT‐co‐EDOT)/PSS had electrical conductivity of 10^?1 S/cm. After dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treatment, the electrical conductivity was enhanced to 10⁰ S/cm; however, the conductivity of the above homopolymer was reduced (～10^?5 S/cm). Raman spectroscopy was used to interpret conductivity enhancement or reduction after DMSO treatment. The conductivity decrease of PEOTT/PSS compared to poly(EOTT‐co‐EDOT)/PSS may arise from the conformational change of PEOTT backbone from the quasi‐planar to the distorted planar mode induced by PSS^–/PSSH through ionic interaction. Kinetic studies revealed that the copolymer had high coloration efficiencies (375 cm²/C), low switching voltages (?0.8 to +0.6 V), decent contrast ratios (45%), moderate response time (1.0 s), excellent stability, and color persistence. An electrochromic device employing poly(3‐methylthiophene) and poly(EOTT‐co‐EDOT)/PSS as the anode and cathode materials was also studied. From these results, poly(EOTT‐co‐EDOT)/PSS would be a promising candidate material for organic electronics. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2285–2297     

Conductivity of Poly(pyrrole)‐Poly(styrene sulfonate) Core–Shell Nanoparticles

The dielectric properties of poly(styrene) nanoparticles decorated at their surfaces with poly(styrene sulfonate) [PSS] brushes and subsequently loaded with polypyrrole (PPy) were studied. These film‐forming materials which may serve as hole‐injection layers in organic light‐emitting diodes, exhibit a core–shell‐type morphology with a core of electrically insulating poly(styrene) and a shell consisting of a corona of PSS chains which form the matrix in which the electrically conducting complex of PPy and PSS is embedded. This conducting complex exists in form of domains of nanoscale dimensions. Thin compressed pellets of these nanoparticles were studied using mainly impedance spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range between 123 and 453 K and frequency range from 10^?1 to 10⁶ Hz. While earlier studies were centered around the effect of polypyrrole volume fraction on the conductivity films and pellets composed of these nanoparticles, the present study reveals in which way the conductivity can be modified by exchange of the mobile inorganic counter ions of PSS. Besides the free‐acid form (H⁺), the Li⁺‐, Na⁺‐ and Cs⁺‐salts of PSS were investigated. The PPy volume fraction was the same for all PPy/PSS core–shell nanoparticles. The distance for phonon‐assisted hopping between next‐neighbor polypyrrolium chains is influenced by the presence of these inorganic cations. For all samples containing PPy, a transition from insulating to conducting behavior in the range of 300‐350 K was found. Using the fluctuation‐induced tunneling model, the average tunneling distance, as well as the potential energy barrier separating neighboring conducting grains was estimated. Finally, a detailed analysis of the dielectric spectra suggests the localization length of the charge carriers to be about 0.33 nm.     

Preparation of Polystyrene‐Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PS‐PNIPA) Core‐Shell Particles by Photoemulsion Polymerization

Summary: Monodisperse thermosensitive PS‐NIPA core‐shell particles composed of a PS core and a cross‐linked PNIPA shell can be successfully synthesized by a novel method: photoemulsion polymerization. Cryo‐TEM images indicate clearly the core‐shell morphology of the PS‐NIPA particles: A homogeneous regular PNIPA shell has been affixed on the spherical PS core. DLS measurements indicate that the obtained PS‐NIPA latex particles are thermosensitive. The shell of PNIPA networks with different cross‐linking densities can shrink and re‐swell with temperature and the volume transition temperature is around 32 °C in all cases.

Cryo‐TEM image of PS‐NIPA core‐shell particles.     

Surface‐Imprinted,Thermosensitive, Core‐Shell Nanosphere for Molecular Recognition

Summary: The D ‐glucose imprinted core‐shell nanosphere with an average size of ≈60 to 80 nm showed a significant preference for the binding of D ‐glucose than the non‐imprinted core‐shell nanosphere. Depending on temperature, the binding site in the shell with N‐isopropylacrylamide oligomer underwent a significant change in binding affinity. In addition, the D ‐glucose imprinted core‐shell nanosphere showed a two times higher affinity for D ‐glucose than L ‐glucose, suggesting chiral recognition of the binding site. The core‐shell nanosphere reported here is a good biomimetic model system with a well‐defined morphology, high surface area, and variable binding affinity through a change in temperature.

D ‐glucose imprinted core‐shell nanospheres showed excellent binding over the non‐imprinted core‐shell nanosphere.     

Microstructure and viscoelasticity of electrorheological suspensions with hybrid core‐shell microspheres

A novel type of electrorheological (ER) fluids with hybrid microspheres as dispersed phases was prepared and their rheological properties in dynamic and oscillatory modes in the presence of electric field were studied. Hybrid microspheres are new types of inorganic‐organic composites consisting of inorganic hollow cores covered with a thin layer of conjugated polymer poly (3‐octylthiophene)—P₃OT, followed by a polyurethane electrolyte shell of defined thicknesses and controlled (electronic and ionic) conductivities. It has been found that the rate of ER response for the applied electric field of the order of few kV/mm, as well as the recovery time after high shear loads of the novel ER fluids, was significantly improved in comparison to the typical solid electrolyte‐based materials. It has been shown that upon the application of an electric field the suspensions of hybrid microspheres form a gel‐like network structure at low strain region with reasonable rigidity characterized by the domination of G′ moduli over G″ and broad linear viscoelastic range. It was shown that at electric fields as high as 3 kV/mm, the investigated ER materials exhibited predominantly elastic behavior and were able to endure strains up to 3% without significant deformation of the material microstructure. Moreover, the novel ER materials exhibited much faster microstructure recovery after high shear loads in comparison to ER fluids comprising core‐shell composites without poly (3‐octylthiophene) interlayer, which makes them more suitable for the applications requiring immediate response to an external electric field.     

Synthesis of Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) latexes using poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone)‐based copolymers as reactive stabilizers

The synthesis by oxidative polymerization of well‐defined poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nano‐objects in the presence of modified and unmodified poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone)‐based copolymers used as stabilizers in aqueous media is reported. Ammonium persulfate or a mixture of ammonium persulfate with CuCl₂ or CuBr₂ was used as oxidants. The effects of several parameters such as the molar mass and the concentration of the stabilizer as well as the nature of the oxidants on the size, morphology, and the conductivity of the PEDOT particles have been investigated. The distribution of the reactive moieties along the copolymer stabilizer backbone was shown to be crucial to get well‐defined PEDOT nano‐objects. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3841–3855, 2010     

Poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) γ‐Fe2O3 polymer composite–super paramagnetic behavior and variable range hopping 1D conduction mechanism–synthesis and characterization

The present paper reports the preparation of poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) ferrimagnetic conducting polymer composite by incorporation of ferrite particles in the polymer matrix by emulsion polymerization. Synthesis of PEDOT–γ‐Fe₂O₃ composite was carried out by chemical oxidative polymerization of EDOT with ferrite particles in the presence of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) that works as dopant as well as surfactant in aqueous medium. The resulting conducting composite possesses saturation magnetization (Ms) value of 20.56 emu/g with a conductivity of 0.4 Scm^?1, which was determined by VSM and four probe technique, respectively. B‐H curve reveals that ferrimagnetic particles of γ‐Fe₂O₃ show super‐paramagnetic behavior at room temperature which was also observed in PEDOT–γ‐Fe₂O₃ composite. The resulting conducting ferrimagnetic composite shows microwave absorption loss of 18.7–22.8 dB in the frequency range of 12.4–18 GHz. Thermogravimetric analysis of the composite revealed that the composite is thermally stable up to 230°C. The characterization of the PEDOT–γ‐Fe₂O₃ composite was carried out using XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecularly Imprinted Multi‐Layer Core‐Shell Nanoparticles – A Surface Grafting Approach

Surface initiated living‐radical polymerization (SIP) based on dithiocarbamate iniferters has been used to create molecularly imprinted core‐shell (CS) nanoparticles. Using this approach, propranolol, morphine and naproxen have been successfully imprinted in particle shells (the latter could not be imprinted using conventional aqueous‐based CS methods). Rebinding properties of the imprinted particles appear to be similar to those made by alternative methods. The living radical initiation mechanism makes it possible to build complex multi‐layer particles sequentially. As a demonstration, multi‐layer propranolol‐imprinted particles were generated. Two additional functional shells were grown over the imprinted shell, while the propranolol binding was retained, albeit at a reduced level.

     

The Synthesis of Magnetic Core‐Shell Nanoparticles by Surface‐Initiated Ring‐Opening Polymerization of ε‐Caprolactone

Summary: The synthesis of core‐shell particles with a poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) shell and magnetite (Fe₃O₄) contents of between 10 wt.‐% and 41 wt.‐% proceeds by surface‐initiated ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone to give surface‐immobilized oligomers with between 1 400 g · mol⁻¹ and 11 500 g · mol⁻¹. The particles are dispersable in good solvents for the PCL shell. Magnetization experiments on the resulting superparamagnetic ferrofluids give a core‐size distribution with an average diameter, d_v, of about 9.7 nm.

TEM image of Fe₃O₄/PCL core‐shell particles cast from CHCl₃ dispersion.     

Fast,Direct, Low‐Cost Route to Scalable,Conductive, and Multipurpose Poly(3,4‐ethylenedixoythiophene)‐Coated Plastic Electrodes

Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films are deposited, using an electroless method, onto flexible plastic poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates of approximately 20×6 cm². The sheet resistance of a PEDOT–PET film is approximately 600 Ω per square, and the nanoscale conductivity is 0.103 S cm^?1. A plastic electrochromic PEDOT–Prussian blue device is constructed. The device undergoes a color change of pale blue to deep violet–blue reversibly over 1000 cycles, thus demonstrating its use as a light‐modulating smart window. The PEDOT–PET film is also used in a quantum dot solar cell, and the resulting photoelectrochemical performance and work function indicate that it is also promising for photovoltaic cells. The high homogeneity of the PEDOT deposit on PET, the optimal balance between conductivity and optical transparency, and the demonstration of its use in an electro‐optical device and a solar cell, offer the opportunity to use this electrode material in a variety of low‐cost optoelectronic devices.     

Determination of Uric Acid in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid Using Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐Modified Electrodes

A poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used to determine uric acid in the presence of ascorbic acid at physiological pH facilitating a peak potential separation of ascorbic acid and uric acid oxidation (ca. 365 mV), which is the largest value reported so far in the literature. Also, an analytical protocol involving differential pulse voltammetry has been developed using a microchip electrode for the determination of uric acid in the concentration range of 1 to 20 μM in presence of excess of ascorbic acid.     

Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)‐based copolymers for biosensor applications

The synthesis of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) derivatives bearing functional groups is described. Their electrochemical characteristics were investigated with cyclic voltammetry and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Various copolymers of EDOT and modified EDOT containing hydroxyl groups were electrochemically prepared. The ability to bind proteins to the surface of these copolymers was investigated through the covalent coupling of glucose oxidase. The obtained materials were used as working electrodes and were shown to be able to amperometrically detect glucose under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Possible applications of these materials as biosensors are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 738–747, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10159     

Synthesis and microwave absorbing properties of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) microspheres

Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) solid and hollow microspheres were successfully synthesized by simply adjusting the concentration of 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and the molar ratio of EDOT to ammonium persulfate (APS) (represented by (EDOT)/(APS)), respectively. Microwave absorbing properties of PEDOT microspheres with tunable reflection loss (RL) and microwave frequency band were described in detail. The relationships between the conductivity and RL of PEDOT microspheres were also discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Systematic study on chemical oxidative and solid‐state polymerization of poly(3,4‐ethylenedithiathiophene)

Systematic research on the synthesis, chemical oxidative polymerization of 3,4‐ethylenedithiathiophene (EDTT) in the presence of surfactants or not, and solid‐state polymerization of 2,5‐dibromo‐3,4‐ethylenedithiathiophene (DBEDTT) and 2,5‐diiodo‐3,4‐ethylenedithiathiophene (DIEDTT) under solventless and oxidant‐free conditions has been investigated. Effects of oxidants (Fe³⁺ salts, persulfate salts, peroxides, and Ce⁴⁺ salts), solvents (H₂O, CH₃CN/H₂O, and CH₃CN), surfactants, and so forth on polymerization reactions and properties of poly(3,4‐ethylenedithiathiophene) (PEDTT) were discussed. Characterizations indicated that FeCl₃ was more suitable oxidant for oxidative polymerization of EDTT, while CH₃CN was a better solvent to form PEDTT powders with higher yields and electrical conductivities. Dispersing these powders in aqueous polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSH) solution showed better stability and film‐forming property than sodium dodecylsulfate and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate. Oxidative polymerization of EDTT in aqueous PSSH solutions formed the solution processable PEDTT dispersions with good storing stability and film‐forming performance. Solvent treatment showed indistinctive effect on electrical conductivity of free‐standing PEDTT films. As‐formed PEDTT synthesized from solid‐state polymerization showed similar electrical conductivity, poorer stability, but better thermoelectric property than oxidative polymerization. Contrastingly, PEDTT synthesized from DIEDTT showed higher electrical conductivity (0.18 S cm^?1) than DBEDTT which showed better thermoelectric property with higher power factor value (6.7 × 10^?9 W m^?1 K^?2). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

One‐Pot Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Properties of Pd@Pt Core‐Shell Nanocrystals with Tailored Morphologies

Pd@Pt core‐shell nanocrystals consisting of well‐defined Pd nanocube cores and dendritic Pt shells were prepared by a new facile aqueous one‐pot synthetic method. The prepared Pd@Pt nanocrystals exhibited efficient catalytic activity and stability toward methanol electrooxidation, and their catalytic function was highly dependent on their Pt shell thickness due to the different synergism between Pt and Pd.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Sulfonate‐containing Polystyrene/CaCO3 Core‐shell Nanoparticles

Polystyrene (PSt) seed latex was first prepared via soap‐free emulsion polymerization in the presence of a small amount of methacrylic acid using ammonium persulfate as initiator, and then seeded emulsion polymerization of sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate (NaSS) and St was carried out to synthesize P(St‐NaSS) core latex using 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. After that, P(St‐NaSS)/CaCO₃ core‐shell nanoparticles were fabricated by sequentially introducing Ca(OH)₂ aqueous solution and CO₂ gas into the core latex. The morphology of the core and core‐shell nanoparticles was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the state of CaCO₃ shell was confirmed with high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscope (HR‐STEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Results showed that PNaSS chains were successfully grafted onto the PSt seed surface, and length of the PNaSS "hairs" could be modulated by adjusting NaSS amount. Sulfonic groups of the PNaSS hairs served as additives in the formation and stabilization of amorphous CaCO₃(ACC) and prevented ACC from sequent transformation into crystalline states. The amount of the anchored CaCO₃ increased with the growth of PNaSS hair length, and reached 51 wt% (by thermalgravimetric analysis) under the optimal encapsulating temperature of 45°C. Moreover, the forming mechanism of P(St‐NaSS)/CaCO₃ core‐shell nanoparticles was proposed.     

Facile Access to Hydroxy‐Functional Core–Shell Microspheres via Grafting of Ethylene Oxide by Anionic Ring‐Opening Polymerization

We present a facile access route to hydroxy‐functional narrow disperse microspheres of well‐defined grafting density (GD). Ethylene oxide has been grafted from highly crosslinked poly(divinyl benzene) microspheres by anionic ring‐opening polymerization using sec‐butyllithium as activator together with the phosphazene base t‐BuP₄. Initially, core microspheres have been prepared by precipitation polymerization utilizing divinyl benzene (DVB, 80 wt.‐%). The grafting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) from the surface resulted in the formation of functional core–shell microspheres with hydroxy‐terminal end groups. The number average particle diameter of the grafted microspheres was 3.6 µm and the particle weight increased by 5.7%. The microspheres were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and fluorescence microscopy. The surface GD (determined via two methods) was 1.65 ± 0.06 and 2.09 ± 0.08 chains · nm⁻², respectively.