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A New Highly Efficient Route to Polymer‐Silica Colloidal Nanocomposite Particles
Author(s) -
Schmid Andreas,
Tonnar Jeff,
Armes Steven P.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200800506
Subject(s) - comonomer , materials science , cationic polymerization , nanocomposite , polymer , aqueous solution , chemical engineering , colloidal silica , colloid , pulmonary surfactant , solvent , nanoparticle , emulsion , polymer chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , copolymer , composite material , chemistry , coating , engineering
Colloidal vinyl polymer‐silica nanocomposite particles are synthesized with very high silica aggregation efficiencies via aqueous emulsion using a cationic azo initiator in the presence of a glycerol‐functionalized ultrafine aqueous silica sol as the sole stabilizing agent (see scheme). The protocol is surfactant‐free and requires neither auxiliary comonomer nor nonaqueous co‐solvent. The particles are film‐forming at ambient temperature, yielding highly transparent films containing up to 39% silica by mass.