Suvarli N, Perner-Nochta I, Hubbuch J, Wörner M. Thiol-Functional Polymer Nanoparticles via Aerosol Photopolymerization.
Polymers (Basel) 2021;
13:4363. [PMID:
34960913 PMCID:
PMC8704326 DOI:
10.3390/polym13244363]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spherical, individual polymer nanoparticles with functional -SH groups were synthesized via aerosol photopolymerization (APP) employing radically initiated thiol-ene chemistry. A series of various thiol and alkene monomer combinations were investigated based on di-, tri-, and tetrafunctional thiols with difunctional allyl and vinyl ethers, and di- and trifunctional acrylates. Only thiol and alkene monomer combinations able to build cross-linked poly(thio-ether) networks were compatible with APP, which requires fast polymerization of the generated droplet aerosol during the photoreactor passage within a residence time of half-minute. Higher monomer functionalities and equal overall stoichiometry of functional groups resulted in the best nanoparticles being spherical and individual, proven by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of reactive -SH groups in the synthesized nanoparticles as a basis for post-polymerization modifications was verified by Ellman's test.
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