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 of monodisperse poly(methacrylic acid) microspheres by distillation-precipitation polymerization

Monodisperse poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) microspheres were prepared by distillation-precipitation polymerization in acetonitrile with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The polymeric microspheres were formed simultaneously via a precipitation polymerization manner during the distillation of the solvent out of the reaction system in the absence of any surfactant and crosslinker. Monodisperse PMAA microspheres with spherical shape and smooth surface were synthesized with diameters ranging from 60 to 290 nm below the glass transition temperature of PMAA without any stabilizer. The particle size increased with increasing monomer concentration, which may be resulted from the higher molecular weight for the polymerization. To investigate the growth procedure of PMAA microspheres, the morphology of microspheres over the distillated acetonitrile volume was conducted by monitoring the morphologies with TEM. GPC and FTIR provide key insights into the particle growth mechanism. The PMAA microspheres may be formed by an internal contraction due to the marginal solvency of the continuous phase with the aid of the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the carboxylic acid unit, in which the particles were stabilized by the steric effect of the pendent chains and surface gel as well as the electrostatic repulsion from the carboxylic acid group.     

Synthesis of monodisperse hollow polymer microspheres with functional groups by distillation precipitation polymerization

<正>Monodisperse hollow polymer microspheres having various functional groups on the shell-layer,such as carboxylic acid,pyridyl and amide,were prepared by two-stage distillation precipitation polymerization in neat acetonitrile in the absence of any stabilizer or additive,during which monodisperse poly(methacrylic acid)(PMAA) afforded from the first-stage polymerization was utilized as the seeds for the second-stage polymerization.The shell layer with different functional groups was formed during the second-stage copolymerization of either divinylbenzene(DVB) or ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate(EGDMA) as crosslinker and the functional comonomers,in which the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the carboxylic acid group of PMAA core and the functional groups of the corresponding comonomers,including carboxylic acid,amide and pyridyl,played an essential role for the formation of monodisperse core-shell functional microspheres.The hollow polymer microspheres were then developed after the subsequent removal of PMAA cores by dissolution in ethanol under basic condition.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the morphology of the resultant PMAA core,functional core-shell microspheres and the corresponding hollow polymer microspheres with different functional groups.FT-IR spectra confirmed the successful incorporation of the various functional groups on the shell layer of the hollow polymer microspheres.     

Highly crosslinked micron-range polymer microspheres by dispersion polymerization of divinylbenzene

Narrow disperse microparticles are formed by dispersion polymerization of commercial divinylbenzene in acetonitrile or ethanol solution in the presence of 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) initiator and polyvinylpyrrolidone stabilizer. The particles have average diameters between 1 and 9 μm depending on monomer concentration, solvent, and temperature. While the smaller particles are relatively smooth, surface texture increases with diameter to give popcorn shapes at 9 μm diameter. High crosslinker concentration is shown to be essential for particle formation. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of SiCN@TiO2 core-shell ceramic microspheres via PDCs method

A facile and effective polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) emulsification-crosslinking-pyrolysis method was developed to fabricate SiCN@TiO₂ core-shell ceramic microspheres with polyvinylsilazane (PVSZ) and tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as precursors. The TBT: PVSZ mass ratios, emulsifier concentrations and the pyrolysis temperature were examined as control parameters to tune the size and morphology of microspheres. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the synthesized SiCN@TiO₂ microspheres to be comprised of SiCN core coated with TiO₂ crystals, with an average size of 0.88 μm when pyrolyzed at 1400 °C. The analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) ensured that SiCN@TiO₂ core-shell ceramic microspheres composed of rutile TiO₂, β-SiC and Si₃N₄ crystalline phases, The thermal properties were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained SiCN@TiO₂ core-shell ceramic microspheres were the promising candidate of the infrared opacifier in silica aerogels and this technique can be extended to other preceramic polymers.     

Synthesis of cationic core-shell latex particles

Surfactant-free seeded (core-shell) polymerization of cationic polymer colloids is presented. Polystyrene core particles with sizes between 200 nm and 500 nm were synthesized. The number average diameter of the colloidal core particles increased with increasing monomer concentration. Cationic shells were introduced by co-polymerizing styrene with the cationic monomers (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride (VBTMAC), [(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (METMAC) and [(2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (AETMAC) onto the polystyrene cores. The cationic monomer AETMAC, undocumented to our knowledge in colloid synthesis, produced the best cationic shells and could be incorporated at much higher concentrations in the shell compared to the commonly used VBTMAC and METMAC, which yielded undesired polyelectrolyte side products already at relatively low cationic monomer concentrations. In shell formation, feed concentrations of AETMAC between 1.3 mol% (2.4 wt%) and 10.7 mol% (20 wt%) in styrene could be employed, allowing us to control colloid surface charge density over a wide range. The influence of various polymerization parameters (initiator concentration, cross-linking agent, and ionic strength) on the co-polymerization process with AETMAC is discussed. Core-shell particles were characterized using HR-SEM, potentiometric titration and zeta potential measurements.     

Preparation of monodispersed polystyrene microspheres uniformly coated by magnetite via heterogeneous polymerization

Composite microspheres of core-shell type were prepared by a seeded polymerization using monodispersed polystyrene seed latex (Ps) combined with an in situ dispersion of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) fine particles. The heterogeneous polymerization was carried out in aqueous dispersions of the Fe₃O₄ particles modified with sodium oleate. All the synthetic processes were carried out in a wet state to avoid serious agglomeration. The morphology of the composite particle and the size distribution were examined to discuss the effects on the polymerization parameters, such as monomer concentration, type and concentration of an initiator, magnetite particle concentration and the method of surface modification of Fe₃O₄.     

Magnetic polyglycidylmethacrylate microspheres by dispersion polymerization

Composite polyglycidylmethacrylate [poly(GMA)] spherical microparticles capable of responding to magnetic fields were prepared by dispersion polymerization of GMA in the presence of iron oxides. The polymerization reaction was carried out in aqueous alcoholic media (methanol, ethanol, propan‐1‐ol, and butan‐1‐ol) using poly‐(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as a steric stabilizer and initiator, respectively. Quaternary ammonium salt (Aliquat 336) acting as an electrostatic costabilizer favorably affected dispersity. The solubility parameter of the reaction mixture determined the size of the resulting microspheres. In addition to the particle size distribution, the addition of iron oxide to the polymerization medium also caused a shift of the particle size to higher values. The results show that poly(GMA) particles contained up to 25 wt % iron oxide. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3707–3715, 2001     

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     

Synthesis of core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres by precipitation polymerization for the inline molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction of thiabendazole from citrus fruits and orange juice samples

In this work, the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres with narrow particle size distributions and core-shell morphology by a two-step precipitation polymerization procedure is described. Polydivinylbenzene (poly DVB-80) core particles were used as seed particles in the production of molecularly imprinted polymer shells by copolymerization of divinylbenzene-80 with methacrylic acid in the presence of thiabendazole (TBZ) and an appropriate porogen. Thereafter, polymer particles were packed into refillable stainless steel HPLC columns used in the development of an inline molecularly imprinted SPE method for the determination of TBZ in citrus fruits and orange juice samples. Under optimized chromatographic conditions, recoveries of TBZ within the range 81.1-106.4%, depending upon the sample, were obtained, with RSDs lower than 10%. This novel method permits the unequivocal determination of TBZ in the samples under study, according to the maximum residue levels allowed within Europe, in less than 20 min and without any need for a clean-up step in the analytical protocol.     

Synthesis of polyacrylate core-shell structure latex by radiation techniques

A series of poly(butyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate)/poly (ethyl acrylate-co-acrylic acid) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) was synthesized in latex form by emulsion polymerization. The multiphase morphology of the latex particles was studied after two-stage polymerization by using transimission electron microscope (TEM), the result indicated that the morphology of the particles comprises gradient shell structure, cellular structure and core-shell structure. The change of morphology might stem from emulsion polymerization by radiation initiation or chemical initiation and the weight composition of poly(EA-co-MMA) seed latex which formed the core. By radiation techniques, we successfully synthesized poly( BA-co-MMA)/poly(EA-co-AA) latex of core-shell structure having (42-8)/(46-4) weight compositions. The PA core-shell structure latex applied to textile as a water proofing coating showed higher water-pressure and easier handling than that with PA homogeneous phase structure latex.     

Porous monodisperse poly(divinylbenzene) microspheres by precipitation polymerization

The precipitation polymerization of commercial divinylbenzene in acetonitrile containing up to 40 vol. % toluene or other cosolvents is shown to produce novel porous monodisperse poly(divinylbenzene) microspheres. These microspheres have diameters between 4 and 7 μm, total pore volumes of up to 0.52 cm³/g, and surface areas of up to 800 m²/g. As no surfactant nor stabilizer was used in the preparation of these particles, their surfaces are free of any such residues. The particles were slurry-packed into stainless steel columns for size exclusion chromatography evaluation, and the results show an exclusion limit at molecular weights of 500 g/mol. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1543–1551, 1998     

Sulfonic acid-functionalized core-shell Fe_3O_4@carbon microspheres as magnetically recyclable solid acid catalysts

Green and recyclable solid acid catalysts are in urgent demand as a substitute for conventional liquid mineral acids.In this work,a series of novel sulfonic acid-functionalized core-shell Fe_3 O_4@carbon microspheres(Fe_3 O_4@C-SO_3 H) have been designed and synthesized as an efficient and recyclable heterogeneous acid catalyst.For the synthesis,core-shell Fe_3 O_4@RF(resorcinol-formaldehyde) microspheres with tunable shell thickness were achieved by interfacial polymerization on magnetic Fe_3 O_4 microspheres.After high-temperature carbonization,the microspheres were eventually treated by surface sulfonation,re sulting in Fe_3 O_4@C-x-SO_3 H(x stands for carbonization temperature) microspheres with abundant surface SO_3 H groups.The obtained microspheres possess uniform core-shell structure,partially-graphitized carbon skeletons,superparamagnetic property,high magnetization saturation value of 10.6 emu/g,and rich SO_3 H groups.The surface acid amounts can be adju sted in the range of 0.59-1.04 mmol/g via sulfonation treatment of carbon shells with different graphitization degrees.The magnetic Fe_3 O_4@C-x-SO_3 H microspheres were utilized as a solid acid catalyst for the acetalization reaction between benzaldehyde and ethylene glycol,demonstrating high selectivity(97%) to benzaldehyde ethylene glycol acetal.More importantly,by applying an external magnetic field,the catalysts can be easily separated from the heterogeneous reaction solutions,which later show well preserved catalytic activity even after 9 cycles,revealing good recyclability and high stability.     

Synthesis of silica-polystyrene core-shell nanoparticles via surface thiol-lactam initiated radical polymerization

This paper reports the synthesis of structurally well-defined silica-polystyrene (SiO₂@PS) hybrid nanoparticles using a thiol-lactam-initiated, radical-polymerization technique. The surface of silica particles, 80 nm in size, were functionalized with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane and used as seeds in the polymerization of styrene in the presence of butyrolactam. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the thiol groups on the SiO₂ surface could initiate polymerization with the aid of butyrolactam. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the hybrid particles had uniform core-shell morphologies. The molecular weight of grafted PS increased with increasing polymerization time.     

蒸馏沉淀法制备扑热息痛亲水核-壳分子印迹微球及其吸附性能研究

选取扑热息痛(PR)作为模板分子,甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为功能单体,通过蒸馏沉淀聚合制得聚合物内核;以丙烯酰胺(AM)作为亲水单体,采用不同的壳交联剂,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EGDMA)、3-羟甲基丙烷三甲基丙烯酸酯(TRIM)、Ⅳ,Ⅳ'-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(MBA)通过自由基聚合枝接亲水层外壳,成功制得一系列亲水核-壳分子印迹聚合物微球(CS-MIPs),并对比其对聚合物性能的影响.通过紫外光谱(UV)、红外(FT-IR)光谱、扫描电镜(SEM)以及吸附实验进行表征,并进行了亲水性能测试.结果表明,采用MBA作交联剂的印迹微球吸附性能以及亲水性能最好,吸附量达120 μmol/g,接触角23.3°.本研究为检测水溶液中扑热息痛含量,提供了一种新思路.     

Synthesis of tri-layer hybrid microspheres with magnetic core and functional polymer shell

Tri-layer magnetite/silica/poly(divinylbenzene) (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PDVB) core-shell hybrid microspheres were prepared by distillation precipitation polymerization of divinylbenzene (DVB) in the presence of magnetite/3-(methacryloxyl)propyl trimethoxysilane (MPS) modified silica core-shell particles as seeds. The polymerization of DVB was performed in neat acetonitrile with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator to coat magnetite/MPS-modified silica particles through the capture of DVB oligomers with the aid of vinyl groups on the surface of inorganic seeds in absence of any stabilizer or surfactant. Other magnetite/silica/polymer tri-layer hybrid particles, such as magnetite/silica/poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PEGDMA) and magnetite/silica/poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/P(EGDMA-co-MAA)) with various polarity and functionality, were also prepared by this procedure. Magnetite/silica/poly(N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/P(MBAAm-co-MAA)) were synthesized with unmodified magnetite/silica particles as seeds. The resultant tri-layer hybrid particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM).     

Preparation and characterization of core-shell polystyrene/polychloromethylstyrene and hollow polychloromethylstyrene micrometer-sized particles of narrow-size distribution

Polystyrene core microspheres of narrow-size distribution were prepared by dispersion polymerization of styrene in a mixture of ethanol and 2-methoxy ethanol. Polystyrene/polychloromethylstyrene and polystyrene/poly(chloromethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) core-shell microspheres of narrow-size distribution were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization of chloromethylstyrene or chloromethylstyrene and divinylbenzene in the presence of the polystyrene core microspheres at 71 °C. Core-shell particles with different properties (size, surface morphology, and composition) have been prepared by changing various parameters belonging to the emulsion polymerization process, e.g., volume of the chloromethylstyrene and the volume ratio of chloromethylstyrene to divinylbenzene. Dissolution of the polystyrene core of the polystyrene/poly(chloromethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) core-shell particles resulted in the formation of crosslinked hollow polychloromethylstyrene microspheres, broken crosslinked polychloromethylstyrene shells, or particles containing voids, depending on the composition of the polystyrene/poly(chloromethylstyrene-divinylbenzene) particles.     

Interaction of antigen and antibody on core-shell polymeric microspheres

Monodispersed microspheres with polystyrene as the core and poly(acrylamide-co-N-acryloxysuccinirnide) as the shell were synthesized by a two-step surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization.The core-shell morphology of the microspheres was shown by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Rabbit immunoglobulin G (as antigen) was covalently coupled onto the microspheres by the reaction between succinimide-activated ester groups on the shell of the microspheres and amino groups of the antigen molecules.The size of particles was characterized by dynamic light scattering technique and was found to vary upon bioconjugation and interaction with proteins.The binding process was shown to be specific to goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G(as antibody) and reversible upon the addition of free antigen into the system.     

Synthesis of polymeric microspheres from a Merrifield resin by surface‐initiated nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization

Polymeric microspheres were prepared from a Merrifield resin via nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization. Polystyrene, poly(acetoxystyrene), and poly[styrene‐b‐(methyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene)], poly(acetoxystyrene‐b‐styrene), and poly(styrene‐co‐2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) copolymers were demonstrated to graft onto 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy nitroxide bound Merrifield resins. The polymerization control was enhanced both on the surface and in solution by the addition of sacrificial nitroxide. The significant increase in the particle diameter (more than a fivefold volume increase for polystyrene brushes) showed that polymer growth was not only on the surface but also within the particles, and this diameter increase could be adjusted through changes in the molecular weight of the polymers. The microspheres were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and optical microscopy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2145–2154, 2005