Photoinitiated synthesis and characterization of P(MMA/DPB) polymer nanoparticles using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in aqueous solutions as a template

The photoinitiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using 2,3-di phenylbutadiene (DPB) as cross-linking agent and benzoin (BN), benzoin meth yl ether (BME), and irgacure (IGC) as photoinitiators in the presence of po ly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) as a water-soluble, hydrophobic template polymer in H2O/DMF led to the formation of P(MMA/DPB) polymer latex partic les. These particles were analyzed by using TEM in combination with the pro gram IMAGE (NIH/USA). After purification by precipitation using THF/H2O, gl obular latex particles were found. Using BME as photoinitiator, "real nanop articles" possessing a smaller diameter than 10 nm were formed among bigger particles (d > 20 nm). The CHN analysis of the P(MMA/DPB) polymers indicat ed that a smaller fraction of PNIPAM (4-10%) was incorporated into the late x particles.