Effect of mixed solvent on fabrication, morphology and monodispersity of microspheres with hydrophobic poly(butyl methacrylate) shells

Abstract

Monodisperse microspheres (mean diameter 200–300 nm) with polystyrene cores and poly(acrylamide-co-butyl methacrylate) shells were prepared by using a free radical polymerization method. Moreover, the effect of mixed solvent on the preparation, morphology and monodispersity was investigated. The experimental results showed that solubility parameter of butyl methacrylate and solvent affected mainly the molding of monodisperse core-shell microspheres. When the microspheres were fabricated in a sequential synthesis process, addition of hydrophilic and organic solvent including butyl methacrylate led to spherical degree of the particles becoming worse, and the mean diameter of the microspheres decreased and the monodispersity became better with increasing the crosslinker methylenebisacrylamide dosage.

Keywords

mixed solvent / monodispersity / core-shell structure / morphology

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