Simple Procedure for Polystyrene-Based Nanocomposite Preparation by Vapor-Phase-Assisted Surface Polymerization

Abstract

Polystyrene (PSt)-based copolymer/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by an in situ vapor-phase-assisted surface polymerization (VASP) as a solventless method using an organically modified MMT and a free radical initiator. Simultaneous and consecutive VASP of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the premodified MMT induced the accumulation of poly(MMAran-St) and poly(MMA-block-St) on the MMT surface, resulting in effective intercalation and exfoliation of silicate layers. The homogeneously dispersed silicate platelets in the polymer matrices were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope analyses. An important contributor to this phenomenon must be the particular interaction between a small amount of MMA units and silicate surfaces. This approach allows the nanocomposites with accompanying intercalation and exfoliation of silicate layers to be applied to a wide range of vaporizable monomers which in the absence of this technique would be otherwise difficult to individually prepare.

Melt-Processable Nanocomposites Grafting-From Platelet Surfaces by Vapor-Assisted Surface Polymerization

“…Although XRD profiles of obtained VASP samples showed drastic shifts into lower 2θ ranges than those of the modified MMTs (Figure 1), the increases in the d-spacing values to 3.90 (sample 3) and 3.17 nm (sample 4) from 2.30 (A-C18MMT) and 2.18 nm (A-C18/C6MMT) indicate intercalation of the structure, rather than exfoliation. As previously reported [30], the exfoliation/intercalation is affected by the compatibility between monomeric units in copolymers and the silicate interlayer components. In this case, such compatibility may be the primary factor for the exfoliation rather than the expected anchoring effect of the C6 moiety bound on the silicate layer surfaces.…”

“…After the surface-modification and the AIBN insertion, XRD profile of the treated MMTs shifted to a lower 2θ range than that of original MMT as shown in Figure 1, resulting in further increases in the d-spacing between the silicate layers from 1.20 to 2.05 nm after the C18/C6-modification (C18/C6MMT) and to 2.18 nm after the AIBN insertion (A-C18/C6MMT). In the case of C18MMT, the d-spacing increased to 2.20 nm after the C18-modification (C18MMT) and to 2.30 nm after the AIBN insertion (A-C18MMT) [30]. Table 1.…”

“…Recently, a simple method for construction of vinyl polymer/clay nanocomposites by VASP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was reported, by which a completely exfoliated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/MMT nanocomposite was obtained [29]. It was also revealed that, because of a particular interaction between silicate platelet surfaces and MMA units in copolymer chains, a small number of MMA units in a styrene-MMA copolymer induced the exfoliation of layered silicates [30]. Considering the easy preparation of block copolymers and other advantageous features of VASP method [31], various designs of polymer structure by VASP could be created on the silicate layer surfaces to prepare nanocomposites that maintain their structures after melt processing.…”

Antimicrobial N‐halamine coatings synthesized via vapor‐phase assisted polymerization

“…Herein, we report a simple and convenient method for the fabrication of N‐halamine coated textiles via vapor‐phase assisted polymerization (VAP) method. VAP approach is a new way developed recently for modifying solid surfaces . The key idea in the VAP method is that monomer is gasified and initiator is immobilized on a solid surface.…”

Controllable surface morphology and properties via mist polymerization on a plasma-treated polymethyl methacrylate surface

“…10 Gas-phase assisted surface polymerization (GASP) or vaporphase assisted polymerization (VASP) is a new approach developed to construct micro-architectures on solid substrate surfaces. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] This approach vaporizes the monomer into the gas phase by running a N 2 gas ow through an agitated monomer liquid 12 or by creating vacuum conditions. 11,[13][14][15][16][17][18] This strategy can avoid the disadvantages involved in liquid monomer solutions and can tailor the surface morphology by varying the duration of exposure to the vaporized monomers.…”