AbstractEncapsulation of silica nanoparticles was performed by emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) using dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DM) as an auxiliary monomer. The emulsion polymerization was performed in the presence of silica nanoparticles as the seed to obtain encapsulated silica nanoparticles with polymer content and average particle sizes ranged from 35 wt. % to 85 wt. % and 114 to 272 nm respectively. Electrostatic attraction between anionic surface of silica beads and cationic amino groups of DM is the main driving force for the encapsulation of the silica nanoparticles. The influence of MMA, St and DM concentration on the coating of the silica nanoparticles was studied. It was demonstrated that DM has an important role in stabilizing the system. Transmission electron microscopy showed that coreshell structures with silica particles as core were coated with the polymer, of which the amount and morphology were influenced by the total monomer concentration and molar ratio of MMA to St. Zeta potential measurement confirmed the presence of DM on the surface of composite particles. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the incorporation of silica in polymer matrix results in an enhancement of thermal stability in the encapsulated products. Differential scanning calorimetry studies indicated that the glass transition temperature of encapsulated particles can be either higher or lower than those of the pure terpolymer counterpart, depending on the DM content of the polymer shell. The products were also characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy.
Soap-free emulsion polymerization of poly (methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate): effects of anionic comonomers and methanol on the different characteristics of the latexes