Synthesis of stimuli-responsive macroazoinitiators and their use as an inistab toward hairy polymer latex particles

pH-Responsive Aqueous Bubbles Stabilized With Polymer Particles Carrying Poly(4-vinylpyridine) Colloidal Stabilizer

Free radical dispersion polymerization was conducted to synthesize near-monodispersed, micrometer-sized polystyrene (PS) particles carrying pH-responsive poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) colloidal stabilizer (P4VP-PS particles). The P4VP-PS particles were extensively characterized in terms of morphology, size, size distribution, chemical composition, surface chemistry, and pH-response using optical and scanning electron microscopies, elemental microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, laser diffraction particle size analysis, and zeta potential measurement. The P4VP-PS particles can work as a pH-responsive stabilizer of aqueous bubbles by adsorption at the air-water interface. At and above pH 4.0, where the particles have partially protonated/non-protonated P4VP stabilizer with relatively hydrophobic character, particle-stabilized bubbles were formed. Optical and scanning electron microscopy studies confirmed that the P4VP-PS particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface of the bubbles in aqueous media. At and below pH 3.0, where the particles have cationic P4VP stabilizer with water-soluble character, no bubble was formed. Rapid disruption of the bubbles can be induced by decreasing the pH; the addition of acid caused the in situ protonation of pyridine groups in P4VP, which impart water-soluble character to the P4VP stabilizer, and the P4VP-PS particles were desorbed from the air-water interface. The bubble stabilization/destabilization cycles could be repeated at least five times.

Effects of pH on the structure and mechanical properties of dried pH-responsive latex particles

Micrometer-sized monodisperse polystyrene (PS) particles carrying a pH-responsive poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) colloidal stabilizer were synthesized via free radical dispersion polymerization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrophoretic measurements verified that PDEA covered the PS particle surface. At pH 3.0 and 6.3, where the PDEA is protonated and cationically charged, the PDEA-PS particles were well dispersed in aqueous media thanks to the water soluble PDEA stabilizer and slowly sedimented due to gravity and enriched at the bottom of the glass vials. At pH 10.0, where the PDEA is non-protonated and neutral, the PDEA-PS particles weakly aggregated due to non-hydrated and collapsed PDEA. These PDEA-PS particles and aggregates sedimented to the bottom. The sediment height observed at pH 10.0 was higher than those observed at pH 3.0 and 6.3 in both wet and dry systems, which indicated that a larger porosity was formed at pH 10.0. Mechanical testing experiments confirmed that the fracture toughness of the dried materials decreased with an increase of pH. The fracture toughness was found to be correlated with the degree of particle ordering in the dried particulate materials: more ordered, dense packings lead to a higher fracture toughness compared to amorphous, less dense packings. Thus, we could tune fracture toughness and degree of particle ordering by controlling the pH.

Stimuli-Responsive Bubbles and Foams Stabilized with Solid Particles

Particle-stabilized bubbles and foams have been observed and used in a wide range of industrial sectors and have been exploited as a technology platform for the production of advanced functional materials. The stability, structure, shape, and movement of these bubbles and foams can be controlled by external stimuli such as the pH, temperature, magnetic fields, ultrasonication, mechanical stress, surfactants, and organic solvents. Stimuli-responsive modes can be categorized into three classes: (i) bubbles/foams whose stability can be controlled by the adsorption/desorption/dissolution of solid particles to/from/at gas-liquid interfaces, (ii) bubbles/foams that can move, and (iii) bubbles/foams that can change their shapes and structures. The stimuli-responsive characteristics of bubbles and foams offer potential applications in the areas of controlled encapsulation, delivery, and release.

pH-Sensitive Adsorption Behavior of Polymer Particles at the Air-Water Interface

pH-Sensitive adsorption of polymer particles bearing poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] hairs at the air-water interface was investigated using a surface tensiometer, a Langmuir-Blodgett trough, and an X-ray reflectometer. We clarified that the particles are adsorbed at the interface at basic pH; by contrast, at acidic pH, only a small number of particles are adsorbed, whereas the majority are dispersed in the water phase. X-ray reflectometry analysis revealed that a particle monolayer was formed at the air-water interface, which was packed densely under increasing surface pressure, as determined by the electron density profile change. The contact angles of the particles at the air-water interface were estimated to be 29° and 34° at pH 3 and 10, respectively, by direct visualization of the air-water interface position of the particles using a polycyanoacrylate trapping method.

Foams stabilized with solid particles carrying stimuli-responsive polymer hairs

Submicrometer-sized polystyrene (PS) particles carrying stimuli-responsive poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) hairs with degrees of polymerization of 30, 60 and 90 were synthesized by dispersion polymerization and used as a particulate foam stabilizer. The effects of the composition of these PDEA-PS particles and foam formation conditions on foamability, foam stability and foam microstructures were extensively investigated. The hairy particles were found to work as an effective stabilizer of aqueous foams in basic media, in which the PDEA hairs are not protonated and thus the particle surfaces exhibit suitable wettability at the air-water interface. In contrast, little to no foam or unstable foams were formed in acidic aqueous media, in which the hairs are protonated and are therefore water soluble. Particles carrying longer hairs resulted in greater foamability and more highly stabilized foams that were capable of persisting for more than one month. Foams were found to form in a narrower pH range when using PS particles with longer hairs, due to both entropic and image charge effects. Data obtained from the touch mixer mixing method showed that both foamability and foam stability increased with increases in the concentration of polymer particles up to 10 wt%, because higher concentrations allowed greater air-water interfacial areas to be stabilized. Conversely, only minimal foam was obtained at and above 15 wt% because of the high viscosity of the resulting aqueous particle dispersion. Trials using the homogenizer mixing method showed that foam with a cream-like texture could be formed even at 40 wt% particle concentration as a result of the improved mixing efficiency. Defoamation could be induced by exposing the foams to HCl vapor. Exposure to acidic vapor led to in situ protonation of the 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate residues, rendering the PDEA hairs hydrophilic and water soluble, and desorption of the PDEA-PS particles from the air-water interface.

pH- and temperature-responsive aqueous foams stabilized by hairy latex particles

Polystyrene (PS) particles carrying pH- and temperature-responsive poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMA) hairs (PDMA-PS particles) were synthesized by dispersion polymerization. The diameter, diameter distribution, morphology, chemical composition and surface chemistry of the particles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental microanalysis, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements. The hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity balance of the PDMA could be tuned by varying both pH and temperature and therefore these sterically stabilized particles acted as doubly stimuli-responsive stabilizers for aqueous foams by adsorption and desorption to/from the air-water interface. At and above pH 6.0, in which range the PDMA hairs were either non-protonated or partially protonated, particle-stabilized foams were formed at both 23 and 55 °C. The foam prepared at 55 °C was the more stable of the two, lasting for at least 24 h, whereas the 23 °C foam destabilized within 24 h. SEM studies indicated that the particles adsorbed at the air-water interface as monolayers at 23 °C and as multilayers at 55 °C. At and below pH 5, in which range the hairs were cationic, hydrophilic and water-soluble, no foam was formed irrespective of temperature. Rapid defoaming could be induced by lowering the solution pH at both temperatures, due to rapid in situ protonation of the PDMA hairs, prompting the PDMA-PS particles to desorb from the air-water interface. The foaming and defoaming cycles could be repeated at least five times.

Transformable core-corona nanoparticles: Simultaneous change of core morphology and corona wettability in response to temperature

We prepared transformable thermoresponsive nanoparticles with variable core softness, controlled by the nanoparticle core's glass transition temperature (Tg). The nanoparticles were prepared by the dispersion copolymerization of butyl methacrylate (BMA) and/or methyl methacrylate (MMA) with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) macromonomer in a polar solvent. The shape of the nanoparticle core changed with temperature. We then prepared poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films with dispersed thermoresponsive nanoparticles, to elongate the nanoparticles through a uniaxial stretching of the films at 60°C. In this manner, the nanoparticle shape changed from spherical to rod-like morphologies, depending on the degree of film extension. Additionally, the rod-shaped nanoparticles only changed back to spheres with temperature modulation. The nanoparticle core's Tg value affected the rate of its physical transformation from rods to spheres at 37°C, with a slower rate observed for increased Tg. As the nanorod shape change was relatively minor at 37°C, we could control the shape of these transformable nanoparticles under various physiological conditions, a highly desirable feature for drug delivery applications.

pH-responsive aqueous foams stabilized by hairy latex particles

Polystyrene (PS) latex particles carrying pH-responsive poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) hair (PDEA-PS particles) were synthesized by dispersion polymerization and characterized in terms of diameter, diameter distribution, morphology, chemical composition, surface chemistry, and pH-response using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental microanalysis, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the laser diffraction method, and zeta potential measurements. The hairy particles can act as pH-responsive stabilizers of aqueous foams by adsorption at the air-water surface. Above pH 8.0, where particles have nonprotonated PDEA hair, which is relatively hydrophobic, particle-stabilized foams are stable for at least 1 month. Optical microscopy and SEM confirmed that flocculated PDEA-PS latex particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface and stabilized the aqueous foams. At pH 6.1 and 7.1, relatively stable foams can be prepared that remain stable for at least 24 h. SEM studies indicated that the PDEA-PS particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface as a monolayer at pH 6.1. At pH 5.1 and 3.1, where the particles have cationic water-soluble PDEA hairs with hydrophilic character, no foam was formed. Rapid defoamation can be induced by lowering the solution pH; the addition of acid caused the in situ protonation of 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate residues, which impart water-soluble hydrophilic character to the PDEA hair, and the PDEA-PS particles desorbed from the air-water interface. The foaming and defoaming cycles could be repeated at least five times.

Liquid marbles prepared from pH-responsive sterically stabilized latex particles

Submicrometer-sized pH-responsive sterically stabilized polystyrene (PS) latex particles were synthesized by dispersion polymerization in isopropyl alcohol with a poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]- (PDEA-) based macroinitiator. These PDEA-PS latexes were extensively characterized with respect to their particle size distribution, morphology, chemical composition, and pH-responsive behavior. Millimeter- and centimeter-sized "liquid marbles" with aqueous volumes varying between 15 μL and 2.0 mL were readily prepared by rolling water droplets on the dried PDEA-PS latex powder. The larger liquid marbles adopted nonspherical shapes due to gravitational forces; analysis of this deformation enabled the surface tension to be estimated. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy studies indicated that flocs of the PDEA-PS particles were adsorbed at the surface of these water droplets, leading to stable liquid marbles. The relative mechanical integrity of the liquid marbles prepared from alkaline aqueous solution (pH 10) was higher than those prepared from acidic aqueous solution (pH 2) as judged by droplet roller experiments. These liquid marbles exhibited long-term stability (over 1 h) when transferred onto the surface of liquid water, provided that the solution pH of the subphase was above pH 8. In contrast, the use of acidic solutions led to immediate disintegration of these liquid marbles within 10 min, with dispersal of the PDEA-PS latex particles in the aqueous solution. Thus the critical minimum solution pH required for long-term liquid marble stability correlates closely with the known pK(a) value of 7.3 for the PDEA stabilizer chains. Stable liquid marbles were also successfully prepared from aqueous Gellan gum solution and glycerol.