title: Sulfonated macro-RAFT agents for the surfactant-free synthesis of cerium oxide-based hybrid latexes.
abstract: Three types of amphiphatic macro-RAFT agents were employed as compatibilizers to promote the polymerization reaction at the surface of nanoceria for the synthesis of CeO2-based hybrid latexes. Macro-RAFT copolymers and terpolymers were first synthesized employing various combinations of butyl acrylate as a hydrophobic monomer and acrylic acid (AA) and/or 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) as hydrophilic monomers. After characterizing the adsorption of these macro-RAFT agents at the cerium oxide surface by UV-visible spectrometry, emulsion copolymerization reactions of styrene and methyl acrylate were then carried out in the presence of the surface-modified nanoceria. Dynamic Light Scattering and cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy were employed to confirm the hybrid structure of the final CeO2/polymer latexes, and proved that the presence of acrylic acid units in amphiphatic macro-RAFT agents enabled an efficient formation of hybrid structures, while the presence of AMPS units, when combined with AA units, resulted in a better distribution of cerium oxide nanoclusters between latex particles.
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Gerhardt (ICG), UMR5253 CNRS/UM2/ENSCM/UM1, Ingénierie et Architectures Macromoléculaires (IAM), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier, 8 rue de l'Ecole Normale, 34296 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warnant
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lacroix-Desmazes
authors.forename: Pierre-Emmanuel
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dufils
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vinas
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Herk
keywords: Cerium oxide; Emulsion polymerization; Hybrid latex; RAFT polymerization