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Polythiolactone‐Decorated Silica Particles: A Versatile Approach for Surface Functionalization, Catalysis and Encapsulation
Author(s) -
Kurka Dustin Werner,
Niehues Maximilian,
Kudruk Sergej,
Gerke Volker,
Ravoo Bart Jan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202100547
Subject(s) - surface modification , polymer , cystamine , atom transfer radical polymerization , thiolactone , materials science , polymer chemistry , nanoparticle , methacrylate , chemical engineering , acrylate , polymerization , chemistry , copolymer , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , biochemistry , engineering
The surface chemistry of colloidal silica has tremendous effects on its properties and applications. Commonly the design of silica particles is based on their de novo synthesis followed by surface functionalization leading to tailormade properties for a specific purpose. Here, the design of robust “precursor” polymer‐decorated silica nano‐ and microparticles is demonstrated, which allows for easy post‐modification by polymer embedded thiolactone chemistry. To obtain this organic‐inorganic hybrid material, silica particles (SiO 2 P) were functionalized via surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) with poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA)‐poly(thiolactone acrylamide (PThlAm) co‐polymer brushes. Exploiting the versatility of thiolactone post‐modification, a system was developed that could be used in three exemplary applications: 1) the straightforward molecular post‐functionalization to tune the surface polarity, and therefore the dispersibility in various solvents; 2) the immobilization of metal nanoparticles into the polymer brushes via the in situ formation of free thiols that preserved catalytic activity in a model reaction; 3) the formation of redox‐responsive, permeable polymer capsules by crosslinking the thiolactone moieties with cystamine dihydrochloride (CDH) followed by dissolution of the silica core.