Synthesis of large-scale, narrowly dispersed, highly cross-linked, and spherical latex particles via one-step emulsion polymerization through particle coagulation

Abstract

ABSTRACTParticle coagulation technology is a facile approach to prepare large-scale and narrowly dispersed polymer particles. However, diverse shapes such as ellipsolid, snowman, dumbbell, and trimer among others were obtained if the cross-linker was directly added into the initial reaction mixtures due to the restriction of the highly cross-linking particle fusion process. In this study, we prepared sub-200 nm, narrowly dispersed, highly cross-linked, and spherical latex particles using particle coagulation technology by controlling the relation between the cross-linking net formation and particle coagulation. Depending on the addition time or feeding rate of the cross-linker (divinylbenzene, DVB), the particles with different sizes or shapes were obtained. The later the addition start time of DVB, the narrower the particle size distribution of the latex particles. Alternatively, the increase of the continuing feeding time could also be used to decrease the width of particle size distribution of the ultimate latex. In addition, narrowly dispersed and spherical latex particles also could be directly obtained by advancing the particle coagulation time using 2, 2′-Azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride as a cationic initiator. Our study presents a new method that will further widen the fields of application of particle coagulation technology.