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Silica‐PMMA hairy nanoparticles prepared via phase transfer‐assisted aqueous miniemulsion atom transfer radical polymerization
Author(s) -
Wu DungYi,
Käfer Florian,
Diaco Nicholas,
Ober Christopher K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2642-4169
pISSN - 2642-4150
DOI - 10.1002/pol.20200382
Subject(s) - miniemulsion , atom transfer radical polymerization , monomer , polymerization , nanoparticle , materials science , methyl methacrylate , polymer chemistry , aqueous solution , bromide , radical polymerization , chemical engineering , phase (matter) , electron transfer , photochemistry , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , engineering
Hairy nanoparticles (HNPs) constitute a class of hybrid nanocomposites that are resistant to aggregation and agglomeration, although the green, large‐scale synthesis of HNPs remains a challenge. In this work, 25 nm‐diameter silica‐core HNPs with a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) shell were synthesized using a graft‐from approach in aqueous miniemulsion, employing atom transfer radical polymerization with activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET‐ATRP). In particular, this work used tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB)‐assisted phase transfer of monomer, markedly improving upon earlier methods by showing that phase transfer could take place in the absence of organic solvents. Furthermore, syntheses with selected monomer addition rates produced HNP graft densities ranging from 0.011 to 0.017 chains/nm 2 and shell thicknesses ranging from 2.5 to 11 nm. Finally, analysis of reaction kinetics revealed that shell growth reached completion in as little as 2 hr, confirmed by the synthesis of >1 g of PMMA‐shell HNPs in a reduced timeframe.