TY - JOUR
T1 - Dispersion polymerization of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-stabilized polymer particles from radical dispersion polymerization in nonpolar solvent
T2 - Influence of stabilizer properties and monomer type
AU - Richez, Alexandre P.
AU - Farrand, Louise
AU - Goulding, Mark
AU - Wilson, Jonathan H.
AU - Lawson, Simon
AU - Biggs, Simon
AU - Cayre, Olivier J.
PY - 2014/2/11
Y1 - 2014/2/11
N2 - Particles used in electrophoretic display applications (EPD) must possess a number of specific properties ranging from stability in a nonaqueous solvent, high reflectivity, low polydispersity, and high charge density to name but a few. The manufacture of such particles is best carried out in the solvent of choice for the EPD. This opens up new interests in the study of nonaqueous dispersion polymerization methods, which deliver polymer particles suspended in low dielectric constant solvents. We explore in this article the use of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) macromonomer for the stabilization of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer particles in dodecane, a typical solvent of choice for EPDs. The use of this stabilizer is significant for this method as it is directly soluble in the reaction medium as opposed to traditionally used poly(12-hydroxystearic acid)-based stabilizers. Additionally, the present study serves as a baseline for subsequent work, where nonaqueous dispersion polymerization will be used to create polymer particles encapsulating liquid droplets and solid pigment particles. In this article, the influence of the macromonomer molecular weight and concentration on the properties of the synthesized particles is studied. In addition, we investigate the possibility of synthesizing polymer particles from other monomers both as a comonomer for methyl methacrylate and as the only monomer in the process. The influence of macromonomer concentration is also studied throughout all experiments.
AB - Particles used in electrophoretic display applications (EPD) must possess a number of specific properties ranging from stability in a nonaqueous solvent, high reflectivity, low polydispersity, and high charge density to name but a few. The manufacture of such particles is best carried out in the solvent of choice for the EPD. This opens up new interests in the study of nonaqueous dispersion polymerization methods, which deliver polymer particles suspended in low dielectric constant solvents. We explore in this article the use of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) macromonomer for the stabilization of poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer particles in dodecane, a typical solvent of choice for EPDs. The use of this stabilizer is significant for this method as it is directly soluble in the reaction medium as opposed to traditionally used poly(12-hydroxystearic acid)-based stabilizers. Additionally, the present study serves as a baseline for subsequent work, where nonaqueous dispersion polymerization will be used to create polymer particles encapsulating liquid droplets and solid pigment particles. In this article, the influence of the macromonomer molecular weight and concentration on the properties of the synthesized particles is studied. In addition, we investigate the possibility of synthesizing polymer particles from other monomers both as a comonomer for methyl methacrylate and as the only monomer in the process. The influence of macromonomer concentration is also studied throughout all experiments.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84894151931&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/la4039304
DO - 10.1021/la4039304
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84894151931
SN - 0743-7463
VL - 30
SP - 1220
EP - 1228
JO - Langmuir
JF - Langmuir
IS - 5
ER -