Poly-N-(4-benzoylphenyl)methacrylamide nanoparticles: preparation, characterization, and photoreactivity features

Abstract

The design and preparation of novel photo- reactive poly-N-(4-benzoylphenyl)methacrylamide-based nanoparticles (NPs) are reported herein. The starting photoreactive monomer, N-4-benzoylphenyl methacryla- mide, was prepared by amidation of the photoreactive species 4-aminobenzophenone with methacryloyl chlo- ride in the presence of triethylamine. Corresponding 97 nm-sized NPs were obtained using a dispersion poly- merization technique. Deep surface and bulk characteriza- tion of resulting polyBPMA NPs were performed using a combination of transmission and scanning electron micros- copies (NP morphology), dynamic light scattering (NP size and size distribution), ζ potential (surface NP charge), thermo-gravimetric measurements (weight loss profiling), differential scanning calorimetry (heat transmission fea- tures), infrared and ultra-violet spectroscopies (functionality checking), nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR, func- tionality confirmation), gel permeation chromatography (average polymer molecular weight), and mass spectrome- try (average polymer molecular weight). Different reaction conditions were investigated for optimal fabrication of corresponding polyBPMA NPs. In addition and most importantly, their UV-mediated photo-reactivity with non- functional parylene C (PC) polymer coatings has been investigated towards NP covalent attachment. The success- ful bonding of such photo-reactive polymeric NPs onto PC films was confirmed by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and by both atomic force- and scanning electron-microscopies.