Synthesis and characterization of latex nanoparticles using a visible-light photoinitiating system in reverse micelles.

ERNESTO M. ARBELOA; GABRIELA V, PORCAL; SONIA G. BERTOLOTTI; CARLOS M. PREVITALI

COLLOID AND POLYMER SCIENCE

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2015 vol. 293 p. 625 - 632

0303-402X

This work shows the feasibility of using the photoinitiating system composed by the xanthene dye Eosin-Y and triethanolamine, on the polymerization of acrylamide in BHDC reverse micelles. Molecular weights of polyacrylamide (MWPAA) in the order of 105 and conversions up to 90%, are obtained. The size of the latex particles is in the range of the nanometers (diameter less than 50 nm). The effect of water content and concentrations of surfactant, amine, dye and monomer on the particles size and MWPAA are examined. Only the amine and monomer concentrations affect the MWPAA. These results are interpreted on the basis of an exchange mechanism between micelles. Practically no effect on hydrodynamic diameters is observed when the value of MWPAA is doubled. This is ascribed to a supercoiled structure of PAA inside of micelles. Our results also suggest that the polymer properties can be modulated by appropriate combination of the dye/surfactant electrical charges.