Issue 34, 2017

A mechanistic investigation of Pickering emulsion polymerization

Abstract

Pickering emulsion polymerization offers a versatile way of synthetising hybrid core–shell latexes where a polymer core is surrounded by an armour of inorganic nanoparticles. A mechanistic understanding of the polymerization process is limited which restricts the use of the technique in the fabrication of more complex, multilayered colloids. In this paper clarity is provided through an in-depth investigation into the Pickering emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of nano-sized colloidal silica (Ludox TM-40). Mechanistic insights are discussed by studying both the adsorption of the stabiliser to the surface of the latex particles and polymerization kinetics. The adhesion of the Pickering nanoparticles was found not to be spontaneous, as confirmed by cryo-TEM analysis of MMA droplets in water and monomer-swollen PMMA latexes. This supports the theory that the inorganic particles are driven towards the interface as a result of a heterocoagulation event in the water phase with a growing oligoradical. The emulsion polymerizations were monitored by reaction calorimetry in order to establish accurate values for monomer conversion and the overall rate of polymerizations (Rp). Rp increased for higher initial silica concentrations and the polymerizations were found to follow pseudo-bulk kinetics.

Graphical abstract: A mechanistic investigation of Pickering emulsion polymerization

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Febr. 2017
Accepted
25 Marts 2017
First published
28 Marts 2017

Polym. Chem., 2017,8, 5100-5111

A mechanistic investigation of Pickering emulsion polymerization

A. Lotierzo and S. A. F. Bon, Polym. Chem., 2017, 8, 5100 DOI: 10.1039/C7PY00308K

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