Encapsulation of unmodified Gibbsite via conventional emulsion polymerisation using charged co-oligomers

Abstract

Gibbsite platelets were successfully encapsulated via starved-feed conventional emulsion polymerisation using anionic co-oligomers without the need for any surface modification of the platelets. Charged co-oligomers, consisting of butyl acrylate and acrylic acid units, were synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) and used as stabilisers for the initial Gibbsite platelets and the formed latex particles. Optimisation of co-oligomer concentration resulted in efficient encapsulation where every latex particle contained a Gibbsite platelet. Cryo-TEM characterisation showed the Gibbsite platelet completely covered with a polymer layer and this morphology was not affected by the investigated co-oligomer composition or chain length.