Probing of Cosolvents in Polymer Latex Materials by Using Solvatochromic Fluorescence

Abstract

The process of film formation is of great importance for the application of organic coatings. In waterborne coatings, organic cosolvents are still indispensable, but regulations force the industry to reduce their amounts. Here we describe a method that uses the solvatochromic fluorescence of a probe molecule copolymerized in an emulsion polymerization process with different monomers to shed light on the partitioning of cosolvents in polymer latex materials. The formulation of the latex with organic cosolvents that are not very water soluble leads to a quantifiable redshift of the emission of the probe. The transfer of the cosolvent upon mixing of cosolvent-containing and cosolvent-free compartments can also be monitored.

Analysis of Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid)/Poly(Isoprene) Polymeric Blend for Application as Biomaterial

“…The PLGA/IR blend can be classified as a solution blend, since the polymers are dissolved in a common solvent and the solvent is removed [7] . Due to the miscibility of organic polymers and solvents, it is more convenient to use such solvents as a means of blend dissolution [17] . The solubility in aliphatic esters and the applicability to cis-Poly(Isoprene) creates a suitable solvent from chloroform (CHCl 3 ) to obtain the blend through a solution [18] .…”

“…Unfortunately, volatile organic solvents such as chloroform may cause health problems for people exposed to it [17] . The solvents can also have a great impact upon the structure of polymers, since, depending upon the interaction between the polymers and the solvent, the polymer may dissolve completely, either in separate phases, or present an alteration in its molecular structure [19] .…”