Polymerization of MMA at the surface of inorganic submicron particles

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Abstract
Inorganic submicron particles, such as TiO2, were modified with titanate coupling agents. The structure and stability of some titanates, both in solution and at the particle surface, were investigated by various methods. The modified titanium dioxide was dispersed in a solution of sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) in water. The surfactant adsorbs at the now hydrophobic particle surface, thus creating a micellelike structure with an inorganic particle in the centre. In this system an emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out. Product formed at the particle surface is either physically bound by entanglement or chemically bound by covalent bonding to the titanates. In this way a core‐shell morphology is obtained with an inorganic core and a polymer shell. The effects of several reaction parameters on the kinetics of the polymerization were studied. The encapsulated TiO2 particles may offer interesting prospects in those applications where good coupling between polymer matrix and inorganic particles is necessary, such as latex paints and polymer composite materials.