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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
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Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
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Colloidal Rod-Like Particles with Temperature-Driven Tunable Interactions
Lucille Chambon1,2, Mohan Das1,2, Evangelia Vasilaki1,2
1Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, 700 13Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 20, 2022
Summary
Synthesized temperature-sensitive colloidal particles with grafted poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMA) show aggregation above their lower critical solution temperature (LCST). However, irreversible aggregation occurred in rod-like particles, unlike spherical ones.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Colloid Science
Background:
- Grafting temperature-responsive polymers onto colloidal particles creates smart materials.
- Silica rods offer unique anisotropic properties for advanced applications.
- Polymer stability at the particle interface is crucial for material performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize temperature-sensitive rod-like colloidal particles.
- To investigate the stability of grafted polymers on silica rods.
- To explore the thermo-responsive behavior and reversibility of these anisotropic particles.
Main Methods:
- Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to graft PDMA onto silica rods.
- Synthesis of a barrier layer using poly(methyl methacrylate) to improve polymer stability.
- Dynamic light scattering, microscopy, and rheological measurements to characterize particle behavior.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized temperature-sensitive rod-like particles with grafted PDMA.
- A poly(methyl methacrylate) barrier layer significantly suppressed polymer degrafting.
- Particles aggregated above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PDMA.
- Rod-like particles exhibited irreversible aggregation, unlike spherical counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Grafting PDMA onto silica rods yields temperature-sensitive anisotropic colloids.
- A hydrophobic barrier layer enhances the stability of grafted polymers.
- Irreversible aggregation in rod-like particles presents challenges for complete thermo-reversibility.
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