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Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
Emulsion polymerization by using chemocleavable emulsifiers derived from 1-o-alkylglycerols
Daisuke Ono1, Yuta Takahashi, Hirofumi Sato
1Osaka Municipal Technical Research Institute, Morinomiya, Joto-ku, Osaka, Japan. daiskono@omtri.or.jp
Chemocleavable anionic surfactants derived from 1-O-alkylglycerols enable easy isolation of polymers like poly(butyl methacrylate) and polystyrene from emulsions. This method simplifies polymer recovery and yields products with lower polydispersity and sodium content.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Organic Synthesis
Background:
- Emulsion polymerization is a widely used technique for polymer synthesis.
- Persistent emulsions pose challenges in isolating synthesized polymers.
- Conventional emulsifiers can lead to difficulties in product separation and purification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel chemocleavable anionic surfactants for emulsion polymerization.
- To address the challenge of isolating polymers from persistent emulsions.
- To synthesize poly(butyl methacrylate) and polystyrene with improved isolation characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of chemocleavable anionic surfactants (1a and 2a) from 1-O-alkylglycerols.
- Emulsion polymerization of butyl methacrylate and styrene using these surfactants.
- Breaking of emulsions using acidic (HCl) or alkaline (NaOH) conditions.
- Filtration and characterization of the synthesized polymers.
Main Results:
- The synthesized surfactants (1a and 2a) effectively enabled easy breaking of emulsions.
- Polymers were rapidly filtered off after emulsion destabilization.
- Polymers synthesized using chemocleavable surfactants exhibited lower polydispersities compared to those from conventional emulsifiers.
- Lower sodium content was observed in polymers synthesized with the novel surfactants.
Conclusions:
- Chemocleavable anionic surfactants offer a significant advantage in polymer isolation from emulsion systems.
- The developed surfactants provide a facile method for breaking emulsions and recovering polymers.
- This approach leads to polymers with enhanced properties, including reduced polydispersity and sodium content.
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