Isotactic-Polypropylene/Atactic-Polystyrene Miktoarm Star Copolymers: Synthesis and Aggregation Morphology

In this work, a series of isotactic-polypropylene/atactic-polystyrene (iPP/aPS) miktoarm star copolymers, PxSy, was synthesized via an arm-first approach. Varied star macromolecule architectures were fabricated by designing the arm length and the arm numbers (x and y). These miktoarm stars were able to form micelles in selective solvent (N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF)), in which the insoluble iPP arms formed the core and the soluble aPS arms formed the shell. The miktoarm polymers aggregated to micro-nanoscale binary structures (MNBSes) in the casting process, and their morphologies, including the MNBS shape and size, were greatly influenced by the PxSy architectures. The MNBSes endowed the material surface with superhydrophobic performance with a water contact angle of 157.0° and a sliding angle of 1.5°.

Study of structure–performance relationships of polymeric dispersants on particle dispersion and stabilisation

Three different structural types of polymeric dispersants were synthesised, optimised and systematically compared over SiO₂ particle dispersion, developing structure–performance relationships.

Efficient synthesis of polyoxazoline-silica hybrid nanoparticles by using the “grafting-onto” approach

The first preparation of silica hybrid nanoparticles by comparing the click chemistry approach with the silane coupling of α-telechelic poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)s is reported.

Surface-initiated SET living radical polymerisation for the synthesis of silica–polymer core–shell nanoparticles

We report the use of surface-initiated single-electron transfer living radical polymerisation (SI SET-LRP) to prepare inorganic–organic core–shell nanoparticles with functional grafted chains of high molecular weight.