One‐Pot Preparation of Core–Shell, Organic–Inorganic, Hybrid Latexes by In Situ Nanoparticle Precipitation in Pickering Emulsion Polymerization

A one‐pot emulsion polymerization process to produce silica nanoparticles fixed on polymer particles is presented. Simultaneous nanoparticle formation/monomer emulsification and later polymerization of monomers prevent the agglomeration of silica particles and result in hybrid organic–inorganic, core–shell latexes. The emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate is performed using nascent silica nanoparticles, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and ammonium persulfate as Pickering surfactant, cosurfactant, and initiator, respectively. The effects of parameters like temperature, initiator type and concentration, and cosurfactant and silica precursor amounts on the polymerization, coagulation percentage, and morphology of hybrid particles are determined using SEM and TEM.