Synthesis of Controllable Carboxylated Polystyrene Microspheres by Two-Step Dispersion Polymerization with Hydrocarbon Alcohols

Abstract

Carboxylated polystyrene (PS) microspheres were synthesized by the two-step dispersion polymerization of styrene in hydrocarbon alcohols (C n H 2n+1 OH, n = 1 -5) in the presence of acrylic acid (AA) as a functional comonomer, 2,2′-azobis-(2-methylbutyronitrile) (AMBN) as the initiator and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP55) as the dispersant. The effects of solvent type, AA concentration, and first reaction time on the carboxyl content on the microsphere surfaces were investigated. The PS microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and gel permeation chromatography. The results showed that the first reaction time of the two-stage dispersion polymerization had a great influence on the nucleation process, and appropriately prolonging the first-step reaction time had a great influence on the surface carboxyl content. The effect of the solvent on the surface carboxyl content of PS microspheres was significant. With n-butanol as the solvent, the carboxyl group content on the surface of the microspheres reached 57.05 mg/g.

Superamphiphobic coatings based on graphene oxide with abrasion resistant property by a simple method

“…The hydroxyl groups on surface of GO nanosheets and APTES were assumed to have strong interaction among them because of the ethoxy groups produced and hydrolyzed in ethanol solution, and this facilitates the formation of C-O-Si bonds to draw them together [15,16] , which is confirmed by the stretching vibrations of N-H at 1635 cm −1 . Compared with GO-FAS coatings, the spectrum of PS/PTFE/GO-FAS coating presents two new adsorption peaks at 1730 −1 and 1450 cm −1 , which are assigned to and -C=C-stretching mode of PS microspheres [17] . For PVDF-HFP/FAS/GO-FAS coatings, two adsorption peaks at 760 cm −1 and 870 cm −1 correspond to α-phase conformations of PVDF and the amorphous part of PVDF-HFP (HFP block) [18] .…”

Fabrication of Tens-micron-sized Functionalized Polystyrene Microspheres for Utilization in Chiral Drug Isolation

“…In dispersion polymerization, monomers, initiator, and stabilizer are firstly dissolved in the reaction medium and the polymer particles gradually precipitate out from the reaction medium [17]. Ha J.W.…”