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Synthesis of Nanosized (<20 nm) Polymer Particles by Radical Polymerization in Miniemulsion Employing in situ Surfactant Formation
Author(s) -
Guo Yi,
Zetterlund Per B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201100300
Subject(s) - miniemulsion , polymerization , pulmonary surfactant , nitroxide mediated radical polymerization , radical polymerization , materials science , polymer chemistry , polymer , styrene , nanoparticle , chemical engineering , chemistry , copolymer , nanotechnology , composite material , engineering
A novel method for synthesis of ultrafine polymeric nanoparticles of diameters less than 20 nm has been developed. The method is based on miniemulsion polymerization exploiting combination of the in situ surfactant generation approach (whereby the surfactant is formed at the oil–water interface by reaction between an organic acid and a base) and ultrasonication. Conventional radical polymerization and nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization of styrene have been conducted in miniemulsion using oleic acid/potassium hydroxide, demonstrating that particles with diameters less than 20 nm can be obtained by this approach at surfactant contents much lower than traditionally required in microemulsion polymerizations.