One-pot synthesis of monodisperse latex particles with single-cavity structure

Abstract

This paper describes a simple and flexible method for fabricating polymeric particles with single-cavity structure by a modified soap-free emulsion polymerization (SFEP). The key is to introduce a functional comonomer (methyl methacrylate, MMA) and a crosslinker (divinylbenzene, DVB) to a conventional three-component SFEP system, followed by polymerization. Anisotropic latex particles with good monodispersity in both size and shape are directly produced in one-pot synthesis with a high yield. The importance of the presence of MMA and DVB in the SFEP with regards to the anisotropic particles formation is discussed.