Polymerization in microemulsions — a new approach to ultrafine, highly functionalized polymer dispersions

Abstract

Polymerization in microemulsions is a new polymerization technique which allows the synthesis of ultrafine latex particles within the size range 5 nm < R < 50 nm and with narrow size distribution. This article presents a short review of the current literature in this field. Beside a short introduction into some liinetic aspects of polymerization in microemulsions, we mainly focus on the synthetic aspects of this technique such as the particle size control and the analysis of the diversity of surfactants which allow formation of polymerizable microemulsions. The control of the chemical functionality or nature of the particle surfaces which may be as large as 300 m2/g and its use for chemistry is a further topic of this paper. A personal analysis of the actual future trends in this rapidly developing field such as the polymerization of complex morphologies is closing the paper.

Polymerization in Inverse Microemulsion: An Effective Tool to Produce Biodegradable and non Biodegradable Nanoparticles

“…In agreement with Antonietti et al [7], during the polymerization, a transfert of monomer and comonomer between the interface and the aqueous core could affect the surfactant head group interactions and then the curvature of the interface. At higher concentration in acrylic acid, the transfert is expected to increase involving an increase of the attractive force between particles.…”

Comparison of glass formation kinetics and segmental relaxation in polymers

“…The molecular weights between crosslinks for the PVE were 7.6, 3.8, 1.5, 1.1, and 0.12 kg/mol (from 140 down to 2 chain units per network chain). The PS lgels, which are crosslinked nanoparticles prepared by polymerization in microemulsion [33,34], all had a total molecular weight equal to ca. 2000 kg/mol, with molecular weights between crosslinks equal to 0.94, 4.1, and 8.2 kg/mol (i.e., 9±79 repeat units per network strand).…”

Atom transfer radical polymerization in aqueous dispersed media

“…In contrast to the opaque and milky appearance of emulsion and miniemulsion latexes, a microemulsion is an isotropic, optically transparent or translucent system with thermodynamic stability [53,54]. The microemulsion is formed spontaneously by mixing oil (monomer) and water in the presence of appropriate amounts of surfactant and co-surfactant, without the requirement of vigorous agitation or homogenization.…”