Tailored Morphology in Polystyrene/Poly(lactic acid) Blend Particles: Solvent's Effect on Controlled Janus/Core-Shell
Bahareh Esteki1, Mahmood Masoomi1, Ahmad Asadinezhad1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 21, 2023
Summary
Solvent choice dramatically alters poly(styrene)/poly(lactic acid) particle shape, transitioning from Janus to core-shell structures. This influences self-assembly into useful 2-D films for advanced materials.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Interface Science
Background:
- Controlling polymeric particle morphology is crucial for advanced applications.
- Polymeric particles are synthesized using various methods, including emulsion solvent evaporation.
- Understanding phase behavior in polymer blends is key to morphology control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of solvent composition on poly(styrene)/poly(lactic acid) (PS/PLA) particle morphology.
- To explore the phase separation behavior of PS/PLA in different solvent systems.
- To correlate particle morphology with self-assembly properties and potential applications.
Main Methods:
- Emulsion solvent evaporation method for particle synthesis.
- Flory-Huggins ternary phase diagram and MesoDyn simulation for phase behavior analysis.
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ATR-FTIR for morphology and chemical characterization.
Main Results:
- Solvent composition significantly impacts PS/PLA particle morphology, enabling transitions from Janus to core-shell structures.
- Pure toluene yielded acorn-shaped Janus particles, while DCM favored kinetically controlled multicore structures.
- Mixed solvents resulted in thermodynamically stable single-core shell particles.
- Janus particles self-assembled into 2-D monolayer films with emulsification properties.
Conclusions:
- Solvent composition is a critical parameter for tailoring PS/PLA particle morphology and properties.
- The study provides insights into polymer blend phase behavior and its effect on particle formation.
- Self-assembled 2-D films from Janus particles show promise for interface design and materials development.
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