title: Microvesicles through self-assembly of polystyrene-clay nanocomposite.
abstract: Polystyrene-clay nanocomposite (PCN) particles, which exhibited concentration dependent self-assembling property in THF were synthesized by in situ intercalative polymerization of styrene with vinyl POSS amine-modified organoclay. While the particles from dilute solution of 0.001 mg mL(-1) showed a lateral dimension of 190-800 nm and thickness of 120 nm, microvesicles of diameter of 2.5-3.5 microm and average membrane thickness of 85 nm were produced from solution concentration of 2.5 mg mL(-1) by consuming the particles. The particle possessed a sandwich structure consisting of polystyrene(PS)-POSS-intercalated clay tactoid of thickness of 12.6 nm at the core and PS chains growing from the tactoid surfaces on either side, exposing the hydroxylated edges of the silicate layers. Vesicle was formed by edge-edge association of the silicate layers so that the layers lie flat along the vesicle membrane. Guest-encapsulated vesicles were obtained when prepared from solutions containing guest molecules.
authors.affiliation: Materials and Minerals Division, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Thiruvananthapuram 695019, India.
authors.forename: Bindu P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Chorappan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pavithran
authors.forename: Janardhanannair D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sudha
authors.forename: Vadakkethonippurathu S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077215:Clay; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011137:Polystyrenes; D000077215:Clay