Fast synthesis of an inorganic–organic block copolymer in a droplet-based microreactor

Abstract

In this report, we used a non-lithographic embedded template method to fabricate a polyvinyl silane (Kion) microfluidic device. The device possesses a good solvent resistance, thermal stability and air-impermeability. The device was used for the synthesis of an inorganic–organic block copolymer through the generation and merging of reactant droplets. The SP-b-PMMA block copolymer was synthesized successfully by the atom transfer free radical polymerization (ATRP) process with a high conversion and narrow polydispersity in a very short reaction time, about ten minutes. The results obtained using the droplet-based microreactor were much better than those obtained with a macroscale batch reactor. Moreover, the as-synthesized SP-b-PMMA block copolymer was used to generate a highly ordered self-assembled ceramic pattern hence demonstrating the high quality of the block copolymer with superior molecular weight distribution control.