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Semi‐Fluorinated Methacrylates: A Class of Versatile Monomers for Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly
Author(s) -
Huo Meng,
Li Dan,
Song Guangjie,
Zhang Jun,
Wu Decheng,
Wei Yen,
Yuan Jinying
Publication year - 2018
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.201700840
Subject(s) - methacrylate , chain transfer , polymer chemistry , polymerization , materials science , dispersion polymerization , raft , micelle , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , copolymer , monomer , radical polymerization , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , aqueous solution , engineering
A series of polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA) formulations are developed based on reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of semi‐fluorinated methacrylates. Alcoholic RAFT dispersion polymerization of 2‐(perfluorobutyl)ethyl methacrylate (FBEMA), 2‐(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate (FHEMA), and 2‐(perfluorooctyl)ethyl methacrylate (FOEMA) is systematically evaluated to extend the general usability of semi‐fluorinated methacrylates to PISA. The nanostructure of the assemblies is correlated to the side‐chain length of the monomer: RAFT dispersion polymerization of FBEMA produces spherical micelles, wormlike micelles, and vesicles depending on its degree of polymerization (DP), while only spheres are generated for the PISA of FHEMA. PISA of FOEMA generates liquid crystalline cylindrical micelles, whose diameter increases with the DP of FOEMA. These results demonstrate the general feasibility of semi‐fluorinated methacrylates to PISA. Besides, PISA of FHEMA is also realized in a variety of solvents, including iso ‐propanol, toluene, dioxane, and dimethyl formamide, exhibiting the superior solvent serviceability of the PISA formulations based on semi‐fluorinated methacrylates.