From near hard spheres to colloidal surfboards.

Area of Science:

• Colloid and surface science
• Polymer chemistry
• Materials science

Background:

• Sterically stabilized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles are crucial for model near-hard suspensions and colloidal gels.
• Their synthesis is challenging due to difficulties in controlling the graft stabilizer (PMMA-g-PHSA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the reliability and control of PMMA colloidal particle synthesis.
• To enable the production of tunable colloidal particles and anisotropic building blocks.

Main Methods:

• Optimized the polycondensation of 12-polyhydroxystearic acid using different catalysts and melt conditions.
• Utilized 1H-NMR spectroscopy to confirm controlled chain length of the stabilizer.
• Employed mechanical deformation methods to create anisotropic particles.

Main Results:

• Achieved better control over the graft copolymer synthesis by controlling 12-polyhydroxystearic acid chain length.
• Enabled the facile production of PMMA spheres with consistent core size and variable stabilizing layer thickness, controlling particle softness.
• Demonstrated the scalable (gram quantities) synthesis of anisotropic colloidal building blocks from PMMA and polystyrene latex particles.

Conclusions:

• Controlling the polycondensation of 12-polyhydroxystearic acid is key to reliable PMMA colloidal particle synthesis.
• The improved synthesis allows for precise tuning of particle properties, such as softness.
• The developed methods facilitate the creation of versatile, anisotropic colloidal building blocks for advanced materials.