title: Fuzzy ternary particle systems by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from layer-by-layer colloidal core-shell macroinitiator particles.
abstract: We report the synthesis of ternary polymer particle material systems composed of (a) a spherical colloidal particle core, coated with (b) a polyelectrolyte intermediate shell, and followed by (c) a grafted polymer brush prepared by surface-initiated polymerization as the outer shell. The layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition process was utilized to create a functional intermediate shell of poly(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride)/poly(acrylic acid) multilayers on the colloid template with the final layer containing an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) macroinitiator polyelectrolyte. The intermediate core-shell architecture was analyzed with FT-IR, electrophoretic mobililty (zeta-potential) measurements, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The particles were then utilized as macroinitiators for the surface-initiated ATRP grafting process for poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer brush. The polymer grafting was confirmed with thermo gravimetric analysis, FT-IR, and TEM. The polymer brush formed the outermost shell for a ternary colloidal particle system. By combining the LbL and surface-initiated ATRP methods to produce controllable multidomain core-shell architectures, interesting functional properties should be obtainable based on independent polyelectrolyte and polymer brush behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Fulghum
authors.forename: Derek L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: Rigoberto C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Advincula