Yuan Jinfeng, Zhao Weiting, Pan Mingwang, Zhu Lei
Institute of Polymer Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300130, P. R. China.
Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7202, USA.
Macromol Rapid Commun. 2016 Aug;37(15):1282-7. doi: 10.1002/marc.201600206. Epub 2016 May 25.
A simple route is reported to synthesize colloidal particle clusters (CPCs) from self-assembly of in situ poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(styrene-co-tert-butyl acrylate) [PVDF/P(St-co-tBA)] Janus particles through one-pot seeded emulsion single electron transfer radical polymerization. In the in situ Pickering-like emulsion polymerization, the tBA/St/PVDF feed ratio and polymerization temperature are important for the formation of well-defined CPCs. When the tBA/St/PVDF feed ratio is 0.75 g/2.5 g/0.5 g and the reaction temperature is 35 °C, relatively uniform raspberry-like CPCs are obtained. The hydrophobicity of the P(St-co-tBA) domains and the affinity of PVDF to the aqueous environment are considered to be the driving force for the self-assembly of the in situ formed PVDF/P(St-co-tBA) Janus particles. The resultant raspberry-like CPCs with PVDF particles protruding outward may be promising for superhydrophobic smart coatings.
