Poly(acrylic acid) block copolymers as stabilizers for dispersion polymerization

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 256; p. 125265
• Main Authors: Itoh, Tomomichi, Okuno, Minami, Moriya, Yoshihiro, Shimomoto, Hiroaki, Ihara, Eiji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 21.09.2022
• Subjects: Block copolymer; Dispersion polymerization; Surface structure; Block copolymer; Dispersion polymerization; Surface structure
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125265

Dispersion polymerization stabilized with poly(acrylic acid) has been performed for decades to produce polymer particles whose surfaces are modified with pH-responsive poly(acrylic acid) moieties. To improve stabilizer efficiency, poly(acrylic acid) block copolymers, in which a poly(acrylic acid) chain is attached to the terminus of a polystyrene or PMMA chain, were used as stabilizers for the dispersion polymerization of styrene or MMA. Compared with the poly(acrylic acid) homopolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) was found to improve the controllable ranges of particle size and the carboxylic-acid-group surface density of the resulting polystyrene particles. Furthermore, we also investigated the effect of heterogeneity between the polymer species of the particle core and the attached polystyrene or PMMA chains in the poly(acrylic acid) block copolymers. Finally, we also examined the applicability of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) as a stabilizer and surface modifier for the dispersion polymerization of various monomers. [Display omitted] •Polymer particles surface-modified with poly(acrylic acid) were prepared.•Block copolymerization improves the stabilizing effect of poly(acrylic acid).•Segments attached to the poly(acrylic acid) affect stabilization.•Polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) is a versatile functional stabilizer.