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Effect of surfactant concentration and monomer polarity on particle nucleation in emulsion step polymerization of dithiol with diene

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Abstract

The dependence of the number of particles Np as a function of the surfactant concentration [S] is investigated for the step polymerization of dithiol-diene emulsions. A sigmoidal curve for log Np vs log [S] is found for a range of monomers regardless of their polarity. Above the critical micellar concentration (6–20 mM), a Np ∝ [S]x relationship is established with an exponent x dependent on the polarity of the two co-monomers. When the two co-monomers are highly water insoluble, x varies typically between 0.6 and 1. With two relatively water soluble co-monomers, x is close to 0. When two co-monomers with contrasting water solubility are involved, the power dependence is more difficult to predict and ranges from 0 to 1, but high x value are generally found when one of the two monomers is highly hydrophobic. This overall trend can be reconciled with the behavior of a conventional emulsion radical chain polymerization.

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Abbreviations

N p :

Number of particle per unit volume (L−1)

[S]:

Surfactant concentration (mol L−1)

[I]:

Initiator concentration (mol L−1)

CMC:

Critical micelle concentration

SEC:

Size exclusion chromatography

D z :

z-Average particle diameter Particle

D w :

Weight-average particle diameter

D v :

Volume-average particle diameter

D n :

Number-average particle diameter

DLS:

Dynamic light scattering

cryo-TEM:

Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy

\({s}_{\mathrm{diene}}\) :

Water-solubility of diene

\({s}_{\mathrm{dithiol}}\) :

Water-solubility of dithiol

DAP:

Diallyl phthalate Diene

DATP:

Diallyl terephthalate

DAIP:

Diallyl isophthalate

DAA:

Diallyl adipate

DVE:

Di(ethylene glycol) divinyl ether

CHDM:

1,4-Bis[(vinyloxy)methyl]cyclohexane

EDDT:

2,2-(Ethylenedioxy)diethanedithiol Dithiol

DTT:

DL-dithiothreitol

GDMA:

Ethylene glycol bismercaptoacetate

GDMP:

Ethylene glycol bis(3-mercaptopropionate)

DMDS:

2,2′-Thioldiethanethiol

HMDT:

1,6-Hexanedithiol

DBHQ:

2,5-Di-tert-butylhydroquinone Radical inhibitor

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate Surfactant

TPO-Li:

Lithium phenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphinate Water-soluble photoinitator

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Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement n° 765341 (project photo-emulsion, MSCA-ITN-2017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR7361, F-68100, Mulhouse, France

    Cuong Minh Quoc Le & Abraham Chemtob

  2. Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Cuong Minh Quoc Le & Abraham Chemtob

  3. Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR 2223 Rue du Loess, BP 84047Cedex 2, 67034, Strasbourg, France

    Marc Schmutz

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  1. Cuong Minh Quoc Le
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Correspondence to Abraham Chemtob.

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Le, C.M.Q., Schmutz, M. & Chemtob, A. Effect of surfactant concentration and monomer polarity on particle nucleation in emulsion step polymerization of dithiol with diene. Colloid Polym Sci 300, 917–925 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-022-04993-z

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