title: One-step microwave preparation of well-defined and functionalized polymeric nanoparticles.
abstract: Well-defined colloidal polymeric nanoparticles are important in advanced biomedical and optical technologies. We report a facile microwave methodology to prepare narrowly dispersed cross-linked polymeric nanoparticles at high solids content through a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization process. The nanoparticle size was controlled by using cross-linkers with enhanced reactivity through a one-step microwaving process, significantly simplifying the nanoparticle synthetic process. The successful size control was realized by confining the cross-linking to intraparticle cross-linking rather than interparticle cross-linking. We also discovered that the superheating/dielectric heating effect associated with microwave irradiation could be utilized to effectively reduce the nanoparticle size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9510, USA.
authors.forename: Zesheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hawker
authors.forename: Galen D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Stucky
mesh_terms: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D008872:Microwaves; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D017680:Potassium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D008689:Methacrylates; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D013431:Sulfates; C009007:potassium persulfate; C004919:ethylene dimethacrylate; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate