Preparation of hemispherical particles by cleavage of micrometer-sized, spherical poly(methyl methacrylate)/polystyrene composite particle with Janus structure: effect of molecular weight

Abstract

Micrometer-sized, hemispherical polymer particles were prepared as a result of cleavage of spherical Janus poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS) composite particle by treating particles with acetone/water solutions. The original PMMA/PS composite particles were prepared by the slow evaporation of toluene from homogeneous PMMA/PS/toluene droplets dispersed in aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate in advance. Appropriate molecular weights of PMMA and PS were necessary for occurrence of the cleavage of the Janus composite particle, resulting in PMMA and PS hemispherical particles. The cleavage depended on the composition of the acetone/water solution, which was explained by selective solvent absorption into the polymer phases. The results strongly support the cleavage mechanism of Janus composite polymer particles that had been proposed earlier.