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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
Colloidal crystallization of colloidal silica modified with ferrocenyl group-contained polymers in organic solvents
Kohji Yoshinaga1, Maki Shigeta, Seishu Komune
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 1-1 Sensui, Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan. khyosina@che.kyutech.ac.jp
Abstract:
Surface modification of colloidal silica with ferrocenyl-grafted polymer and colloidal crystallization of the particles in organic solvent were studied. Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-vinylferrocene)-grafted silica never formed colloidal crystals in polar solvent, such as acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), while poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ferrocenyl acrylate)-grafted silica gave colloidal crystallization in DMF. The particles prepared by grafting of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide-co-vinylferrocene), with vinylferrocene (Vfc) mole fraction of 1/13 and 1/23, were observed to give the crystallization in ethanol and DMF over particle volume fraction of 0.058. Further, silica modified with copolymer of Vfc and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-vinylcarbazole or N-isopropylacrylamide formed colloidal crystals in ethanol and DMF. Especially, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Vfc)-grafted silica, which was composed of the highest mole fraction of vinylferrocene, 1/3, afforded colloidal crystallization in ethanol over particle volume fraction of 0.053. Relatively high polar vinylferrocene copolymer grafting of silica resulted in colloidal polymerization in organic solvents.
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