Synthesis of fluorinated polyacrylate/polysilsesquioxane composite soap-free emulsion with partial trilayer core-shell structure and its hydrophobicity

Abstract

We had successfully prepared novel fluorinated polyacrylate/polysilsesquioxane composite soap-free emulsion (FPSQ) by seeded emulsion polymerization of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and butyl acrylate (BA), using polymethacryloxypropylsilsesquioxane (PSQ) latex particles synthesized by hydrolysis and polycondensation of (3-methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (MAPTS) in the presence of a polymerizable emulsifier as seeds. Results confirmed that the as-prepared latex film had the due structure and its particles had the partial trilayer core-shell structure with an average diameter of 147.6 nm. Thermal stability of the FPSQ latex film was enhanced due to the introduction of PSQ nanoparticles. Then FPSQ was applied to cotton fabric and could form a relatively smooth film with some nanoparticles beneath it on the treated fabric/fiber surface under field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) observation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated the fluoroalkyl groups tended to enrich at the film-air interface. Contact angles of water on the FPSQ treated fabric surface could attain 142.5°. In addition, FPSQ did not influence whiteness of the treated fabric at all but would make it stiff at high doses.