Polymerization of Hexyl Methacrylate in Nanoemulsions Made by Low and High Energy Methods

Abstract

The synthesis of poly(hexyl methacrylate) nanoparticles in nanoemulsions containing squalane as hydrophobe is reported here. A comparison of the polymerization kinetics of nanoemulsions prepared by Phase Inversion Temperature (low energy method) and microfluidization (high energy method), as well as polymer characteristics are presented. Nanoemulsion polymerizations carried out a 20°C were extremely fast using a par redox especially for the low-energy nanoemulsions. The particles obtained were only slightly larger than the original nanoemulsion droplets, indicating that the droplets acted as templates, and that squalane diminished substantially monomer diffusion between reacting and non-reacting monomer droplets. Molar masses and glass transition temperatures of the poly(hexyl methacrylate) obtained here were practically independent of conversion and surfactant concentration, as well as of the nanoemulsification method used.

Keywords:

• Nanoparticles
• nanoemulsion polymerization
• Phase Inversion Temperature
• microfluidization

Acknowledgments

The Mexican Council of Science of Technology of México (CONACYT grant # CB-2007-82437) supported this research. One of us (AGA) thanks CONACYT for the scholarship.