RAFT-mediated Pickering emulsion polymerization with cellulose nanocrystals grafted with random copolymer as stabilizer

Liangjiu Bai; Xinyan Jiang; Beifang Liu; Wenxiang Wang; Hou Chen; Zhongxin Xue; Yuzhong Niu; Huawei Yang; Donglei Wei

doi:10.1039/c8ra03816c

RAFT-mediated Pickering emulsion polymerization with cellulose nanocrystals grafted with random copolymer as stabilizer

RSC Adv. 2018 Aug 13;8(50):28660-28667. doi: 10.1039/c8ra03816c. eCollection 2018 Aug 7.

Authors

Liangjiu Bai^{1

2}, Xinyan Jiang^{1

2}, Beifang Liu^{1

2}, Wenxiang Wang^{1

2}, Hou Chen^{1

2}, Zhongxin Xue^{1

2}, Yuzhong Niu^{1

2}, Huawei Yang^{1

2}, Donglei Wei^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Key Laboratory of High Performance and Functional Polymer in the Universities of Shandong Province, Ludong University Yantai 264025 China wenxiang-tianshi@163.com ldupolymchen@163.com +86-535-6669070 +86-535-6697933.
² Collaborative Innovation Center of Shandong Province for High Performance Fibers and Their Composites, Ludong University Yantai 264025 China.

Abstract

The synthesis of a RAFT-mediated Pickering emulsion was firstly achieved by using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) grafted with a random copolymer as the stabilizer. Firstly, poly(acrylonitrile-r-butyl acrylate) (poly(AN-r-nBA)) was synthesized by Cu(0)-mediated CRP, which was further modified via a click chemistry strategy to obtain poly(ethylene tetrazole-r-butyl acrylate) (poly(VT-r-nBA)). Then, poly(VT-r-nBA) was grafted onto the CNCs through a Mitsunobu reaction to obtain poly(VT-r-nBA)-g-CNCs. Stabilized by poly(VT-r-nBA)-g-CNCs, an O/W RAFT-mediated Pickering emulsion was formed for the preparation of well-controlled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles with water-soluble potassium persulfate (KPS) as an initiator and oil-soluble 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (CPADB) as a chain transfer agent. Rheological analysis suggested that the prepared Pickering emulsion possessed good stability under the influences of changes in strain, time, frequency and temperature. Furthermore, the recycling and further utilization of the poly(VT-r-nBA)-g-CNCs could be simply realized through centrifugal separation.