INVESTIGATION OF THE FORMATION OF STERICALLY STABILIZED POLY(ETHYLENEGLYCOL ISOBUTYL CYANOACRYLATE) NANOPARTICLES BY CHEMICAL GRAFTING OF POLYETHYLENE-GLYCOL DURING THE POLYMERIZATION OF ISOBUTYL CYANOACRYLATE

In order to elucidate the formation of sterically stabilized polyethyl ene glycol/isobutyl cyanoacrylate (PEG-PIBCA) nanoparticles during the polymerization of isobutyl cyanoacrylate (IB CA) in the presence of P EG a physicochemical investigation was carried out on the formation of colloidal particles and copolymerization degree between PEG and PIBCA . Our previous work showed that the nucleophile PEG acted ns initiator of the polymerization, theoretically either through its OH terminal g roups or -O- ether groups. In this work, we analysed the effect of PEG concentration in the polymerization medium on nanoparticle formation and on copolymerization degree between PEG and PIBCA. We showed that, at a low concentration in the medium (< 1% w/v), PEG was unable to ini tiate the polymerization of IBCA and did not lend to the formation of colloidal particles. The polymerization reaction of IBCA was followed in the presence of PEG and (Me)(2)PEG in order first to highlight the role of PEG functional groups ns initiators of the polymerization. Fin ally, H-1-NMR and C-13-NMR allowed the identification of the chemical structure of PEG-PIBCA nanoparticles, and suggested that the PEG block contained in the nanoparticles was attached to PIBCA via an etheroxid e bond.