Tailor-Made Fluorinated Copolymer/Clay Nanocomposite by Cationic RAFT Assisted Pickering Miniemulsion Polymerization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Surface Science

Background:

• Fluorinated polymers are crucial for hydrophobic coatings but often rely on surfactants.
• Developing surfactant-free polymer emulsions is a key goal for advanced material applications.
• Pickering miniemulsion polymerization offers a route to stable, surfactant-free polymer dispersions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare a novel fluorinated copolymer emulsion free from traditional surfactants.
• To investigate the use of Laponite nanoparticles as stabilizers in miniemulsion polymerization.
• To explore the impact of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization on particle formation and stability.

Main Methods:

• Pickering miniemulsion polymerization of pentafluoropropyl acrylate (PFPA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and n-butyl acrylate (nBA).
• Utilized Laponite-RDS as a nanoparticle stabilizer and a cationic RAFT agent (DMTTC) for enhanced polymer-Laponite interaction.
• Investigated the effect of Laponite and RAFT agent concentrations on polymerization rate and miniemulsion stability (zeta potential).
• Characterized particle morphology using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Main Results:

• Achieved faster polymerization rates with Laponite content at 30 wt % or higher and 1.2 wt % RAFT agent.
• Demonstrated miniemulsion stability is dependent on Laponite and RAFT agent concentrations.
• Produced spherical copolymer particles with sizes ranging from 200-300 nm, armored with Laponite.
• AFM and TEM confirmed the formation of Laponite-armored particles.

Conclusions:

• Successfully synthesized surfactant-free fluorinated copolymer nanoparticles via Pickering miniemulsion polymerization.
• Laponite stabilization and RAFT polymerization promote efficient particle formation and stability.
• The Laponite-polymer interaction enhances the surface properties of the resulting fluorinated copolymer films for hydrophobic applications.