Preparation of monodisperse fluorescent core–shell polymer microspheres with functional groups in the shell layer by two‐stage distillation–precipitation polymerization

Abstract

Monodisperse crosslinked core–shell micrometer‐sized microspheres bearing a brightly blue fluorescent dye, carbazole, and containing various functional groups in the shell layers were prepared by a two‐stage distillation–precipitation polymerization in acetonitrile in the absence of any stabilizer. Commercial divinylbenzene (DVB), containing 80 vol.% of DVB, was polymerized by distillation–precipitation in acetonitrile without any stabilizer using 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator for the first stage of polymerization which resulted in monodisperse polyDVB microspheres used as the core. Several functional monomers, including 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile together with N‐vinylcarbazole blue fluorescent comonomer, were incorporated into the shell layers with AIBN as initiator during the second stage of polymerization. The resultant core–shell polymer microspheres were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV‐visible spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry

Facile synthesis of silica/polymer hybrid microspheres and hollow polymer microspheres

“…In our previous work, the crosslinked polyDVB core in the functional coreeshell polymer microspheres [37,39] cannot be selectively removed by either dissolution with solvent or degradation with suitable reagent for the preparation of hollow polymer microspheres. Silica cores of the resultant silica/ polyDVB and silica/polyEGDMA coreeshell hybrid microspheres were selectively removed by the degradation of silica core with elution of SiF 4 gas from the system in HF aqueous solution to afford the corresponding polyDVB and poly-EGDMA hollow microspheres.…”

Precipitation polymerization for fabrication of complex core–shell hybrid particles and hollow structures

“…67,68 The post-modification by living radical polymerization and newly-developed 'click' chemistry will be introduced in the following sections. In addition, antifouling, 69 fluorescent, 70 magnetic and ceramic microspheres 71,72 have also been reported by direct precipitation co-polymerization of respective functional monomers with a crosslinking agent.…”

“…Distillation-precipitation polymerization is also utilized to fabricate core-shell microspheres with functional groups on the shell surfaces, such as ester, hydroxyl, and carbazole groups (fluorescence function). 70 Moreover, core-shell particles with a nonporous (dense) core and a porous shell could be prepared through tuning the solvent composition. Fig.…”

Monodisperse Liquid Crystal Network Particles Synthesized via Precipitation Polymerization

“…Moreover, particles with complex structures can also be prepared, including core–shell and hollow particles. 23−27 To date, however, precipitation polymerization has never been used to prepare LC polymer particles.…”