Preparation and Characterization of Crosslinked Latex Nanoparticles by Differential Microemulsion Polymerization

Abstract

The differential microemulsion polymerization was used to synthesize crosslinked latex nanoparticles. In this paper, 1, 3-butylene glycol dimethacrylate (1, 3-BGDMA) was used as a crosslinking agent respectively 0-6 weight% of monomer total. The polymerization was carried out using butyl methacrylate (BMA), butyl acrylate (BA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) as the monomer mixture. The thin film of latex nanoparticles were prepared by using spin coating method and have been dried at 100°C for 5 minutes. The amount of the crosslinking agent added in the polymerization was optimized and we found that the particle sizes fall in the range of 30-60 nm. Field Emission Scanning Electrons Microscope (FESEM) was demonstrated that the spherical image of uncrosslinked latex change to a wooden-like image when the crosslinking agent added in the polymerization.