Issue 39, 2013
From the journal:

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

Nonsolvents-induced swelling of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles

Atsuomi Shundo,ab   Koichiro Hori,a   David P. Penaloza, Jr.,c   Kazuki Yoshihiro,a   Masahiko Annakad  and  Keiji Tanaka*abe  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
E-mail: k-tanaka@cstf.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Fax: +81-92-802-2880
Tel: +81-92-802-2878

b International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

c Department of Chemical System Engineering, Keimyung University, Daegu 704-701, Republic of Korea

d Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan

e Center for Future Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

Abstract

Polymer nanoparticles have been used in a wide variety of applications. In most of these applications, they are generally dispersed in a non-solvent. However, the effect of the non-solvent on the structure, physical properties and function of the nanoparticles has not yet ever taken into account. In this study, monodispersed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles were prepared by a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. The PMMA nanoparticles were dispersed in water and in methanol, both typical non-solvents for PMMA, so that we could discuss the effect of the non-solvent on the nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed that the hydrodynamic radius of the PMMA nanoparticles in methanol was larger than the same PMMA dispersed in water. Their DLS values were also larger than the radius of the nanoparticles measured by atomic force microscopy. When pyrene was dispersed in methanol with the PMMA nanoparticles, it was incorporated into the nanoparticles. These results clearly indicate that non-solvent molecules can be sorbed into polymer nanoparticles because the area of the interface, where polymer segments might be dissolved into liquid phases, as the total volume is quite larger for such nanoparticles. Therefore, based on our findings, it can be arguably established that the present assumption for a polymer not to be swollen in its non-solvent is not necessarily true.

Graphical abstract: Nonsolvents-induced swelling of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C3CP52673A
Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Jun 2013
Accepted
17 Jul 2013
First published
31 Jul 2013

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013,15, 16574-16578

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Nonsolvents-induced swelling of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles

A. Shundo, K. Hori, D. P. Penaloza, K. Yoshihiro, M. Annaka and K. Tanaka, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 16574 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP52673A

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