Skip to main content

Efficient preparation and formation mechanism of polymer/SiO2 nanocomposite particles in miniemulsions

Colloid and Polymer Science volume 295, pages 1223–1232 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (poly(St-co-MMA))/SiO2 nanocomposite particles (NCPs) were prepared through miniemulsion polymerization by using polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (commercial name: Tween-20) as the sole surfactant. The number fraction of poly(St-co-MMA)/SiO2 NCPs in the as-synthesized emulsion could exceed 90% in some well-designed systems, indicative of high efficiency of poly(St-co-MMA)/SiO2 NCP formation. Each poly(St-co-MMA)/SiO2 NCP contained many SiO2 NPs, thus exhibiting a high composite efficiency between the poly(St-co-MMA) and SiO2 NPs. The mechanistic investigation indicated that the enhanced efficiency of the poly(St-co-MMA)/SiO2 NCP formation is due to the improved homogeneity in the distribution of SiO2 among the monomer droplets and the effectively suppressed nucleation of plain monomer droplets through controlled coalescence of the monomer droplets with the latex particles.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

References

  1. Park Y, Advincula RC (2011) Hybrid semiconductor nanoparticles: π-conjugated ligands and nanostructured films. Chem Mater 23:4273–4294

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hui CM, Pietrasik J, Schmitt M, Mahoney C, Choi J, Bockstaller MR, Matyjaszewski K (2014) Surface-initiated polymerization as an enabling tool for multifunctional (nano-)engineered hybrid materials. Chem Mater 26:745–762

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Qi DM, Cao ZH, Ziener U (2014) Recent advances in the preparation of hybrid nanoparticles in miniemulsions. Adv Colloid Interf Sci 211:47–62

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Zou H, Wu SS, Shen J (2008) Polymer/silica nanocomposites: preparation, characterization, properties, and applications. Chem Rev 108:3893–3957

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bourgeat-Lami E, Lansalot M (2010) Organic/inorganic composite latexes: the marriage of emulsion polymerization and inorganic chemistry. Adv Polym Sci 233:53–123

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Cao LY, Fei XN, Zhao HB, Gu YC (2015) Inorganic–organic hybrid pigment fabricated in the preparation process of organic pigment: preparation and characterization. Dyes Pigments 119:75–83

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zeigler MB, Sun W, Rong Y, Chiu DT (2013) Hybrid semiconducting polymer nanoparticles as polarization-sensitive fluorescent probes. J Am Chem Soc 135:11453–11456

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Nguyen KT, Zhao YL (2015) Engineered hybrid nanoparticles for on-demand diagnostics and therapeutics. Acc Chem Res 48:3016–3025

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Nguyen M, Felidj N, Mangeney C (2016) Looking for synergies in molecular plasmonics through hybrid thermoresponsive nanostructures. Chem Mater 28:3564–3577

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Carretero-Palacios S, Jiménez-Solano A, Míguez H (2016) Plasmonic nanoparticles as light-harvesting enhancers in perovskite solar cells: a user’s guide. ACS Energy Lett 1:323–331

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kirillova A, Schliebe C, Stoychev G, Jakob A, Lang H, Synytska A (2015) Hybrid hairy Janus particles decorated with metallic nanoparticles for catalytic applications. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7:21218–21225

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Colver PJ, Colard CAL, Bon SAF (2008) Multilayered nanocomposite polymer colloids using emulsion polymerization stabilized by solid particles. J Am Chem Soc 130:16850–16851

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Schmid A, Armes SP, Leite CAP, Galembeck F (2009) Efficient preparation of polystyrene/silica colloidal nanocomposite particles by emulsion polymerization using a glycerol-functionalized silica sol. Langmuir 25:2486–2494

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang MM, Ngo TH, Rabiah NI, Otanicar TP, Phelan PE, Swaminathan R, Dai LL (2014) Core-shell and asymmetric polystyrene-gold composite particles via one-step Pickering emulsion polymerization. Langmuir 30:75–82

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Qi DM, Liu CH, Chen ZJ, Dong GF, Cao ZH (2015) In situ emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate in the presence of SiO2 with various surface coupling densities. Colloid Polym Sci 293:463–471

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Qi DM, Liu CH, Chen ZJ, Chen HN, Huang CJ, Cao ZH (2016) Formation mechanism of guava-like polymer/SiO2 nanocomposite particles in in situ emulsion polymerization systems. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 489:265–274

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Landfester K (2009) Miniemulsion polymerization and the structure of polymer and hybrid nanoparticles. Angew Chem Int Ed 48:4488–4507

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Weiss CK, Landfester K (2010) Miniemulsion polymerization as a means to encapsulate organic and inorganic materials. Adv Polym Sci 233:185–236

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mirmohseni A, Gharieh A, Khorasani M (2016) Silica encapsulation by miniemulsion polymerization: a novel approach of efficient chemical functionalization on silica nanoparticles. Polymer 98:182–189

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Tissandier C, Diop N, Martini M, Roux S, Tillement O, Hamaide T (2012) One-pot synthesis of hybrid multifunctional silica nanoparticles with tunable coating by click chemistry in reverse w/o microemulsion. Langmuir 28:209–218

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Percy MJ, Michailidou V, Armes SP (2003) Synthesis of vinyl polymer-silica colloidal nanocomposites via aqueous dispersion polymerization. Langmuir 19:2072–2079

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schork FJ, Luo YW, Smulders W, Russum JP, Butté A, Fontenot K (2005) Miniemulsion polymerization. Adv Polym Sci 175:129–255

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Antonietti M, Landfester K (2002) Polyreactions in miniemulsions. Prog Polym Sci 27:689–757

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Asua JM (2002) Miniemulsion polymerization. Prog Polym Sci 27:1283–1346

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Zhang SW, Zhou SX, Weng YM, Wu LM (2005) Synthesis of SiO2/polystyrene nanocomposite particles via miniemulsion polymerization. Langmuir 21:2124–2128

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Qi DM, Bao YZ, Weng ZX, Huang ZM (2006) Preparation of acrylate polymer/silica nanocomposite particles with high silica encapsulation efficiency via miniemulsion polymerization. Polymer 47:4622–4629

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhou J, Zhang SW, Qiao XG, Li XQ, Wu LM (2006) Synthesis of SiO2/poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate) nanocomposite microspheres via miniemulsion polymerization. J Polym Sci A Polym Chem 44:3202–3209

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Bourgeat-Lami E, Farzi GA, David L, Putaux JL, McKenna TFL (2012) Silica encapsulation by miniemulsion polymerization: distribution and localization of the silica particles in droplets and latex particles. Langmuir 28:6021–6031

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Cao ZH, Chen Q, Chen HN, Chen ZJ, Yao J, Zhao SN, Zhang YS, Qi DM (2017) Preparation of polymeric/inorganic nanocomposite particles in miniemulsions: I. Particle formation mechanism in systems stabilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 516:199–210

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Stöber W, Fink A, Bohn E (1968) Controlled growth of monodisperse silica spheres in the micron size range. J Colloid Interface Sci 26:62–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Landfester K (2001) The generation of nanoparticles in miniemulsions. Adv Mater 13:765–768

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Schrade A, Landfester K, Ziener U (2013) Pickering-type stabilized nanoparticles by heterophase polymerization. Chem Soc Rev 42:6823–6839

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial supports from the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (LY16E030006), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) project (51573168), the Science Foundation of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (14012208-Y), the Excellent Young Researchers Foundation (CETT2015001) and Young Researchers Foundation (ZYG2015003) of Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Academic Discipline of Chemical Engineering and Technology, the Young Researchers Foundation of Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Academic Discipline of Textile Science and Engineering (2015YXQN03), and Zhejiang Province’s Xinmiao Talent Plan (2016R406058) are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Research Center for Eco-Dyeing & Finishing of Textiles, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Jia Yao, Zhihai Cao, Qun Chen, Shuning Zhao, Yushang Zhang & Dongming Qi

Authors
  1. Jia Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhihai Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qun Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shuning Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yushang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dongming Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhihai Cao.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yao, J., Cao, Z., Chen, Q. et al. Efficient preparation and formation mechanism of polymer/SiO2 nanocomposite particles in miniemulsions. Colloid Polym Sci 295, 1223–1232 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-017-4115-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-017-4115-8

Keywords

  • Polymeric/inorganic nanocomposite particles
  • Miniemulsion polymerization
  • SiO2 nanoparticles
  • Composite efficiency
  • Particle morphology