Block, random and palm-tree amphiphilic fluorinated copolymers: controlled synthesis, surface activity and use as dispersion polymerization stabilizers

Abstract

A series of novel fluorinated amphiphilic stabilizers of different architectures (diblock, grafted, or palm tree copolymers) were successfully prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer. The surfactant properties of these copolymers were first evidenced by measuring the interfacial tension at the H₂O/trifluorotoluene (TFT) interface, and the results were correlated with their stabilizing efficiency in the dispersion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in trifluorotoluene. The effects of the architecture and concentration of the stabilizer on the morphology, size and stability of the obtained polyHEMA particles were investigated. Whatever the architecture of the stabilizer, conditions could be adapted to produce submicronic spherical poly(HEMA) particles with diameters around 300 nm and a quite narrow size distribution.