Correlative studies on the fabrication of poly(styrene-methyl-methacrylate-acrylic acid) colloidal crystal films

Hilary I. Ifijenac, Esther U. Ikhuoriab* & Stanley O. Omorogbeca Material Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology , Thiruvananthapuram , India ; b Department of Chemistry, University of Benin , Benin City , Nigeria ; c Product Development Division, Research Operations Department, Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria , Benin-City , Nigeria Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ldis.Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher's website. CONTACT Esther U. Ikhuoria esyikhuoria@yahoo.com esther.ikhuoria@uniben.edu Department of Chemistry, University of Benin , P.M.B. 1154 , Benin City , Nigeria AbstractThis research describes a one-step procedure for monodispersed poly(styrene-methyl-methacrylate-acrylic acid colloidal spheres [P(St-MMA-AA)] via soap-seeded emulsion polymerization. The effects ofreaction conditions such as temperature, stirring speed, initiation concentration, e.t.c. were examined. The results obtained showed that the spheres average particle diameter decreased with increase in initiator concentration, the reaction temperature and stirring speed and increased with an increase in monomer concentrations. The particles show stable mechanical properties within the transition and heating temperatures of 111.9 °C and 388 °C respectively. Zeta-potential values ranging from −31.8 mV to −36.5 mV which is indicative of stable dispersion of colloidal particles were obtained for all the prepared latexes. The assembled colloidal latex had periodic structures with mainly hexagonal three-dimensional structures with multi-facet arrangements. The latex also shows spherical shape of monodispersed core-shell particles.