Janus dimers from tunable phase separation and reactivity ratios

Abstract

Janus dimers, as a typical species of anisotropic material, are useful for both theoretical simulations and practical applications. However, their facile production and structural control still remain challenging. Here, we tactfully propose a one-pot dispersion polymerization method for the large-scale synthesis of Janus dimers, which perfectly combines the differences in the reactivity ratios of the monomer groups and phase separation of the polymers. After searching, we selected glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and stearyl methacrylate (SMA) as the model system. This approach provides a facile and controlled method to control the structures of dimers via the polymerization temperature and monomer ratios; also, more complex architectures such as colloidal clusters were fabricated. As seed particles, monomers can selectively polymerize on one region to produce Janus rough dimers. These Janus dimers further present significant potential due to their super-hydrophobicity and high adsorption of oil, and they can serve as carriers for the in situ synthesis of nanocatalysts (Au, Ag, etc.) with excellent catalytic performance.