Nanostructure Changes upon Polymerization of Aqueous and Organic Phases in Organized Mixtures

Cecile Noirjean (1) , Cedric Vancaeyzeele (2) , Sophie Bourcier (2) , Fabienne Testard (1) , Frederic Vidal (2) , David Carriere (1) , Odile Fichet (2)

1 LIONS - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire sur l'Organisation Nanométrique et Supramoléculaire
2 LPPI - Laboratoire de Physico-chimie des Polymères et des Interfaces

The nanostructure of a microemulsion can be strongly affected by the liquid-to-solid transition during polymerization. Here, we examined the evolution of nanostructures of different ternary mixtures, including two microemulsions and a single lamellar phase that upon polymerization are quantitatively studied by SAXS/WAXS and DSC experiments systematically performed before and after the polymerization of both aqueous and organic phases. Samples are mixtures of the poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) network as the aqueous phase and poly(hexyl methacrylate) as the organic phase stabilized by Brij35 surfactant. Upon polymerization, the surfactant is excluded from the water/oil interface and crystallizes, strongly changing the nanostructure of samples where it is the main component. In samples where the aqueous phase is the main component, only a few changes in structure are observed upon polymerization. This study demonstrates quantitatively the possibility to preserve nanostructures during polymerization, thus inducing a templating effect.

Domains: Chemical Sciences; Material chemistry

Cecile Noirjean, Cedric Vancaeyzeele, Sophie Bourcier, Fabienne Testard, Frederic Vidal, et al.. Nanostructure Changes upon Polymerization of Aqueous and Organic Phases in Organized Mixtures. Langmuir, 2016, 32, pp.10104 - 10112. ⟨10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02626⟩. ⟨cea-01380623⟩