Issue 37, 2015

Fast and facile one-step synthesis of monodisperse thermo-responsive core–shell microspheres and applications

Abstract

Highly monodisperse PMMA microspheres covered with a thermo-responsive shell were synthesized in a single step by means of photoinitiated RAFT dispersion polymerization at room temperature. Thermo-responsive macro-RAFT agents (P(mPEGA-co-MEA)-TTCs) with different lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) were used as stabilizers in the process. Particle yields of over 95% were achieved within 45 min of UV irradiation, showing a fast process. The microspheres obtained were well-dispersed in water at a temperature below the LCST, and precipitated from the aqueous dispersion at a temperature above the LCST, exhibiting reversible thermo-responsive properties. The particle size can be precisely controlled by adding a monomer to the reaction in batches, and the microspheres maintained their high uniformities during the reaction. The thermo-responsive PMMA microspheres can be effectively conjugated to proteins via the carboxyl groups on the macro-RAFT chains. A thermo-responsive PMMA/ZIF-8 core–shell structure was also synthesized by using P(mPEGA-co-MEA)-b-PAA stabilized PMMA microspheres as the template, and exhibited good adsorption properties for methylene blue.

Graphical abstract: Fast and facile one-step synthesis of monodisperse thermo-responsive core–shell microspheres and applications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Jun 2015
Accepted
02 Aug 2015
First published
04 Aug 2015

Polym. Chem., 2015,6, 6698-6708

Author version available

Fast and facile one-step synthesis of monodisperse thermo-responsive core–shell microspheres and applications

J. Tan, M. Yu, X. Rao, J. Yang and Z. Zeng, Polym. Chem., 2015, 6, 6698 DOI: 10.1039/C5PY00889A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements